Mogadishu — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has appointed Gamal Mohamed Hassan as the Federal Minister of Commerce and Industry, marking a high-profile return to the cabinet by one of Somalia’s most experienced and internationally connected public servants. His appointment is widely viewed as a strategic boost for Somalia’s commerce and industrial recovery agenda.
Gamal brings to the role a distinguished career spanning diplomacy, federal governance, academia, and international institutions. A former federal minister, member of parliament, and senior diplomat, he previously served more than five years as Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, one of the longest tenures of that administration, where he built a reputation for institutional discipline and assertive governance. His current position as a Director at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), coupled with his 2022 appointment as IGAD’s Special Representative for Climate Change and Environmental Affairs, further underscores his regional and global standing.
His diplomatic credentials are equally notable. Gamal served as Somalia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kenya, while also holding concurrent accreditation to Seychelles, Comoros, and Mauritius. Earlier in his career, he worked closely with the United States Special Representative for Somalia as a Political Specialist, and gained additional experience with the Government of Canada, Carleton University, the United Nations, the European Union, and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
Academically, Gamal combines policy expertise with rigorous scholarship. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Carleton University in Canada, a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from Moi University in Kenya, and a Master’s in Global Energy and Climate Policy from SOAS, University of London. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at the University of York, specializing in environmental economics and management, an increasingly relevant field for sustainable industrial development.
As Minister of Planning, Gamal demonstrated a firm approach to sovereignty and state-building. His 2018 directive requiring international NGOs to relocate their offices to Mogadishu, followed by restrictions on organizations continuing to operate remotely from Nairobi in 2020, signaled a bold effort to recentralize governance and strengthen domestic institutions. While contentious with some international partners, the move reinforced his image as a decisive and reform-oriented leader.
Hailing from the Sanaag region, Gamal is widely regarded as the most accomplished politician the region has produced since the collapse of the central state. He enjoys strong support among younger Somalis and stands apart from major political scandals or clan-based controversies, lending him credibility as a unifying figure at a critical moment in Somalia’s recovery.
His return comes at a time when Somalia is reassessing its industrial potential. Three decades ago, the country maintained a diverse network of state-owned industries, including sugar factories in Jowhar and Jubba, dairy processing in Mogadishu, textiles, meat processing in Kismayo, cement production in Berbera, oil refining, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, steel works, edible oils, and national printing facilities. Complementing these were grain mills, fish processing plants, leather and footwear factories, gypsum and asbestos plants, refrigeration and vegetable processing centers, and national electricity and publishing agencies.
This once-thriving industrial base supported food security, employment, construction, energy supply, and basic consumer needs before decades of conflict disrupted production. Gamal’s appointment is therefore seen as a deliberate attempt to reconnect Somalia’s historical economic foundations with a modern, globally informed policy approach.
With his blend of experience, international credibility, and reformist instincts, Gamal’s return to the cabinet is being welcomed as a timely and consequential step toward revitalizing Somalia’s commerce and industry, and restoring confidence in the country’s economic future.