Somalia to demolish ruins for hotels?

[Idilinaa]

Somalis do built other things as well. The existence of hotels, restaurants and other services is simple supply and demand and it helps stimulate the economy which allows funding in more important areas.

Somalis build stuff based on local needs and to fill a gap in the market or to boost economic growth or create employment opportunities. There is no excessive hotels or restaurants being build above other things, they are built alongside other things.

I tried to explain this in another thread:

Do Somalis know any businesses other than coffee shops and hotels?

It's already rotten buildings glad they're removing them

They are not, they are restoring the residential areas and buildings surrounding it as well.

Why would the government submit it to UNESCO for conservation otherwise? That's usually done to secure funding or technical support to restore it.

My concern mainly is how it might impact historical sites since there is little regulation in which spaces can be bought and used.

There needs to be a specialized institution set up with funds allocated to it. That's going to be far more effective in my opinion, to regulate and safeguard it.

 

[Dalac Bilaash]

Somalis build stuff based on local needs and to fill a gap in the market or to boost economic growth or create employment opportunities. There is no excessive hotels or restaurants being build above other things, they are built alongside other things.

I tried to explain this in another thread:

Do Somalis know any businesses other than coffee shops and hotels?

They are not, they are restoring the residential areas and buildings surrounding it as well.

Why would the government submit it to UNESCO for conservation otherwise? That's usually done to secure funding or technical support to restore it.




There needs to be a specialized institution set up with funds allocated to it. That's going to be far more effective in my opinion, to regulate and safeguard it.

Bruh these people want ugly wartorn buildings over new shiny buildings

 

[IKHALIIL]

Bruh these people want ugly wartorn buildings over new shiny buildings

Substance abusers congregate around abandoned buildings as well so it shouldn't be ignored either way

 

[Zak12]

Somalis build stuff based on local needs and to fill a gap in the market or to boost economic growth or create employment opportunities.

Its weird how this point seems to confuse some people. In countries like Italy or France you will see loads of coffee houses and restaurants but I don't think anyone would accuse those countries of having limited infrastructure services.

The most eye opening thing you posted when it came to this topic was when you pointed out that Somalia is building a bunch of fish factories, pharmacy and manufacturing buildings when the common belief was that Somalia hardly had factories.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338229873_Private_sector_developments_in_Somalia_analysis_on_some_major_sector

This paper basically proves you right, much of Somalia's growth comes from telecommunication, financial, transport, and trade. Hotels are only one part of the equation.

 

[Hotchick12]

lol you guys were complaining when cadaan people visit that derelict area im happy it’s sold to businessman, keep on selling only the private sector thrives in somalia

 

[Rayaale]

horta what tourists are using these hotels?

Aint no body needing those hotels

Money laundering, most of the hotels are empty but are booked

 

[Idilinaa]

Its weird how this point seems to confuse some people. In countries like Italy or France you will see loads of coffee houses and restaurants but I don't think anyone would accuse those countries of having limited infrastructure services.

The most eye opening thing you posted when it came to this topic was when you pointed out that Somalia is building a bunch of fish factories, pharmacy and manufacturing buildings when the common belief was that Somalia hardly had factories.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338229873_Private_sector_developments_in_Somalia_analysis_on_some_major_sector

View attachment 369288

This paper basically proves you right, much of Somalia's growth comes from telecommunication, financial, transport, and trade. Hotels are only one part of the equation.

Small service-oriented businesses dominate all countries especially developed and advanced economies. The average person is not going to establish a giant corporation, factory, or highly technical enterprise.

It would be like accusing Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese people of only opening spas or massage parlors, or Japanese and Koreans of only operating love hotels and motels. Or saying they only open laundromats and corner shops in the West. These kinds of generalizations miss how economies actually function.

Only a few individuals typically have the capital, technical skills, and education required to build large-scale industrial or technical ventures. Once established, these ventures can then hire others but those employees often need specialized training or education as well. In contrast, service-oriented businesses can readily employ people with little formal training, which is why they proliferate and require less start up capital to set up.

In fact, small businesses are crucial for economic growth, employment, and income generation.


That said, you're absolutely right , new manufacturing facilities and product launches are happening all the time in Somalia.

In just the past month (June/July), we’ve seen multiple examples:

In Las Anod:


In Bareeda


It’s interesting how some people missed the fact that a new product share was marketed on the Somali Stock Exchange to local investors:


In Kismaayo

Sommarine Unveils Locally-Built Tourist Boat in Kismayo to Boost Jubbaland’s Blue Economy | Radio Kismaayo

radiokismayo.so

They’re producing a variety of fishing boats , some quite sizable , including 18-meter vessels and even 24-meter boats designed for deep-sea, long-haul fishing.

Currently, there are four modern fishing boat manufacturers operating in Somalia.

They’re not only building fishing vessels but also equipment, processing factories, cold storage chains along the coast, and supporting infrastructure like jetties for improved connectivity. New fish markets are being established as well. And with the Somali Navy making a return to combat illegal fishing, the long-term capital gains for this sector could be exponential.

That 2019 study you referenced focused mostly on Mogadishu, but similar manufacturing growth is happening in Somaliland and Puntland too.

According to a 2022 survey, there are 63 industrial enterprises in Somaliland alone. The average starting capital was $2 million mostly from local sources with the highest investments ranging between $15 and $32 million.

Here’s a list of some of the products being produced and the number of factories for each:

Surprisingly, some of these companies are already engaged in exports, while others are domestically focused:

This list doesn’t even include the larger industrial plants like Horn Cements, Kabsan Batching, Liis Dairies, or SBI (Beverage Factory).

Before the civil war, Somalis operated thousands of manufacturing firms, producing diverse consumer goods and owning hundreds of private factories, besides the large state owned entreprises. In urban centers, Somalis have historically been very industrial , a legacy that continues today:

So the pigeonholing is strange , it doesn’t seem like some people really understand how business or economics work.

How do they think these factories, corporations, banks, and financial services get funded? It’s through capital generated by small and medium businesses, agriculture, and trade. These same small businesses also play a role in funding infrastructure.

 

[Idilinaa]

Money laundering, most of the hotels are empty but are booked

That’s not even remotely true. Millions are spent every week by local families, business people, and regional travelers to book accommodation in these hotels.

Much like the gated garden parks, play areas, and amusement parks being built in Hargeisa, Borama, and Mogadishu these aren't primarily for foreign tourists. They’re built to serve the local communities. Families go there on weekends, holidays, and for special occasions like weddings and celebrations.

Hotels also often double as venues for meetings, conferences, and other events. So to claim they’re all just empty and booked for money laundering shows a serious misunderstanding of how these places operate in reality.

I shared an example of this in another thread where i yet again had to explain this same thing:

to all Somalis demanding tourism this is what it leads to

Most of the hotels in Borama just host weddings, dinners, business meeting etc... I helped finance a venue for one of my cousins to work, he offers wedding photo and video packages and is filled till the end of 2025. Hotels, motels etc are used domestically in most countries, people tend to...

www.somalispot.com

Turns out @NidarNidar was right

They used Safari Park to host Eid festivals and fun activities for the locals in Borama

@Barkhadle1520 they probably spent millions in a single day similar to DarSalam amusement park in Mogadishu

They hold meetings between business men, scholars, and host prayers

Same explained by another user:

Most of the hotels in Borama just host weddings, dinners, business meeting etc... I helped finance a venue for one of my cousins to work, he offers wedding photo and video packages and is filled till the end of 2025.

 

[Idilinaa]

Small service-oriented businesses dominate all countries especially developed and advanced economies. The average person is not going to establish a giant corporation, factory, or highly technical enterprise.

It would be like accusing Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese people of only opening spas or massage parlors, or Japanese and Koreans of only operating love hotels and motels. Or saying they only open laundromats and corner shops in the West. These kinds of generalizations miss how economies actually function.

Only a few individuals typically have the capital, technical skills, and education required to build large-scale industrial or technical ventures. Once established, these ventures can then hire others but those employees often need specialized training or education as well. In contrast, service-oriented businesses can readily employ people with little formal training, which is why they proliferate and require less start up capital to set up.

In fact, small businesses are crucial for economic growth, employment, and income generation.


That said, you're absolutely right , new manufacturing facilities and product launches are happening all the time in Somalia.

In just the past month (June/July), we’ve seen multiple examples:

In Las Anod:


In Bareeda


It’s interesting how some people missed the fact that a new product share was marketed on the Somali Stock Exchange to local investors:


In Kismaayo
View attachment 369313

Sommarine Unveils Locally-Built Tourist Boat in Kismayo to Boost Jubbaland’s Blue Economy | Radio Kismaayo

radiokismayo.so

View attachment 369304

They’re producing a variety of fishing boats , some quite sizable , including 18-meter vessels and even 24-meter boats designed for deep-sea, long-haul fishing.
View attachment 369310
Currently, there are four modern fishing boat manufacturers operating in Somalia.

They’re not only building fishing vessels but also equipment, processing factories, cold storage chains along the coast, and supporting infrastructure like jetties for improved connectivity. New fish markets are being established as well. And with the Somali Navy making a return to combat illegal fishing, the long-term capital gains for this sector could be exponential.

That 2019 study you referenced focused mostly on Mogadishu, but similar manufacturing growth is happening in Somaliland and Puntland too.

According to a 2022 survey, there are 63 industrial enterprises in Somaliland alone. The average starting capital was $2 million mostly from local sources with the highest investments ranging between $15 and $32 million.
View attachment 369311

Here’s a list of some of the products being produced and the number of factories for each:
View attachment 369312

Surprisingly, some of these companies are already engaged in exports, while others are domestically focused:
View attachment 369317

This list doesn’t even include the larger industrial plants like Horn Cements, Kabsan Batching, Liis Dairies, or SBI (Beverage Factory).

Before the civil war, Somalis operated thousands of manufacturing firms, producing diverse consumer goods and owning hundreds of private factories, besides the large state owned entreprises. In urban centers, Somalis have historically been very industrial , a legacy that continues today:
View attachment 369318

So the pigeonholing is strange , it doesn’t seem like some people really understand how business or economics work.

How do they think these factories, corporations, banks, and financial services get funded? It’s through capital generated by small and medium businesses, agriculture, and trade. These same small businesses also play a role in funding infrastructure.

Also @Zak12 i'll say this, as for the weird persistent stereotyping and pigeonholing, i think some of it just comes down to a strange personal animosity towards Somalis in general. It might be rooted in internalized negative media portrayals, trauma from the proxy war era, or even fixation on clan identity. There also seems to be a lingering bias or stereotype against pastoralism the whole "nomad this, geeljire that" mindset.

I understand there's been a historical tendency among some Reer Magaal (urbanites) to look down on rural communities much like you see elsewhere in the world, where terms like "country bumpkin" or "redneck" are used to mock rural populations, especially in places like the American South.

It’s a common human tendency, but they need to recognize that the countryside has always supported the cities , economically, socially, and even culturally.

They need to look deeper , think beyond narrow perceptions. Think bigger picture. Understand the diverse roles that people play and see where they themselves fit into that.

Somalis have always been a diversified people: pastoralists, fishermen, farmers, traders, craftsmen, builders, warriors, sailors, scholars, and more. We’ve been both city dwellers and rural folk.

Today, we’re teachers, engineers, businessmen, lawyers, doctors, technicians, laborers/workers, farmers, herders. soldiers, scholars, and employees/or professionals of various types of roles. Again ,both urban and rural. What we need is to embrace and embody a diversified identity.

Personally, the more I learn, the more appreciation I develop for every aspect of our heritage and present-day reality.

But this is exactly why I’m stepping back from anonymous online discussions. I’m choosing to focus on building something real , independently and on my own terms. I have a direction I want to follow, and I don’t care for anyone’s personal bias, nor do I have any interest in wasting time on trolls.