Jeddah (Somalia Today) — Saudi Arabia on Saturday urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to “categorically” reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, calling for a unified Islamic stance against any engagement with what it described as separatist entities in Somalia.
Speaking at an extraordinary meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Jeddah, Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
He said Saudi Arabia opposes what officials described as “mutual recognition” between Israel and Somaliland’s administration.
The Jeddah meeting followed Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland on Dec. 26, 2025, a step Somali authorities and several Muslim-majority states say violates Somalia’s internationally recognised borders.
The OIC’s General Secretariat condemned the decision in late December, warning it could undermine stability in the Horn of Africa.
The organisation reinforced its position on Jan. 10 when its executive committee issued a final communiqué declaring the recognition “null and void.”
It urged member states to avoid dealings with Somaliland authorities and called on the United Nations to reject Israel’s move.
Parallel entities rejected
During the session, Al-Khuraiji urged OIC members to take coordinated action in international forums to prevent what Saudi Arabia described as a precedent that could encourage secessionist movements elsewhere.
He also called for Israel to be held responsible for any political or security fallout linked to the recognition.
Saudi Arabia used the speech to restate its broader regional positions, including on the Palestinian issue.
The Kingdom backed efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza and renewed its support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
The dispute centres on Somaliland, a self-declared state since 1991, along the Gulf of Aden near major shipping routes connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Somaliland officials have denied claims that Israel’s recognition involves plans for Israeli military basing.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Hargeisa on Jan. 6 and met Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullah, prompting condemnation from Somalia’s government, which says Somaliland remains part of Somalia.
Saudi-UAE rivalry
The issue has unfolded alongside wider competition among Gulf states, including between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which has played out in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
In Yemen, the UAE has backed and trained the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement that has clashed politically and, at times, militarily with forces aligned to Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 as the lead power in a coalition backing that government. Over time, the two partners have backed different local forces and pursued different priorities.
This month, the Somaliland dispute also overlapped with developments linked to Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition accused the UAE of helping STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi leave Yemen by boat to Somaliland and then travel onward via Mogadishu to the UAE.
Somalia’s immigration agency said it opened an investigation into whether its airport was used illegally during the transit.
UAE in Somaliland
Somaliland has also built close economic and security ties with the UAE, including DP World’s investment in Berbera port and UAE training support for Somaliland security forces, alongside a consulate-level presence in Hargeisa.
Those ties also include a 2017 vote in Somaliland’s parliament to allow a UAE military base that was later redesignated for civilian use.
An Axios report quoted Israeli officials as saying the UAE “facilitated” Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. The UAE has not publicly responded to the claim.
Somalia’s government says regional rivalries, competition over ports and security access along the Red Sea corridor, and tensions over Somaliland add pressure as it continues to battle the Al-Shabaab insurgency while relying on international partners for training, funding and stabilisation.
The OIC’s communiqué said Somalia — currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council — should receive international backing as it pushes back against Israel’s recognition.
