Nairobi will host GSEF 2026 on October 24–25, bringing together government officials, investors and technology leaders to explore entrepreneurship and regional economic growth.
Somalia’s Commerce Minister Gamal Hassan, EABC Executive Director Ahmed Farah and Microsoft AI specialist Nour Omar are among the announced participants at GSEF 2026.
Diaspora investment, artificial intelligence, regional trade and Somalia’s investment environment will feature at the Global Somali Entrepreneurship Forum in Nairobi.
Government officials, business leaders, development finance specialists, and technology experts will converge in Nairobi for the Global Somali Entrepreneurship Forum (GSEF) 2026, with discussions expected to focus on investment, digital innovation, and opportunities for regional economic growth.
Scheduled for October 24–25 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi’s Upper Hill, the forum will bring together participants from commerce, financial services, technology, agriculture, governance, and international development.
The announced lineup reflects the forum’s ambition to connect Somali entrepreneurs with policymakers, investors, development partners and international business networks. Discussions will examine the conditions businesses need to expand, including access to finance, reliable digital infrastructure, stronger institutions and improved regional market access.
According to the organisers’ speaker and guest announcements, Somalia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ambassador Gamal Hassan, will attend as Chief Guest–Somalia. East African Business Council Executive Director Ahmed Farah has been announced as a keynote speaker, while Microsoft artificial intelligence specialist Nour Omar and SEACOM executive Parag Patil are among the technology leaders expected to participate.
Their participation will bring government policy, private-sector experience and technological expertise into discussions on the future of entrepreneurship in Somalia and the wider East African region.
Ambassador Hassan’s attendance is expected to provide a government perspective on commerce, investment and private-sector development. His professional background spans diplomacy, national development planning, economic governance and regional cooperation.
He previously served as Somalia’s Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, where his work included the formulation of the country’s Ninth National Development Plan and coordination of development and resilience initiatives. The organisers also cite his contribution to strategic planning and coordination during Somalia’s debt relief process.
Having previously served as Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Hassan brings experience in bilateral relations that is relevant to a forum seeking to strengthen economic connections across East Africa.
Investment promotion will also feature through the participation of Faisal Adan Hassan, Director General of the Somalia Investment Promotion Office, SOMINVEST. Announced as a speaker, he brings more than two decades of experience in public service, business and development.
His work focuses on attracting investment, strengthening institutions and improving Somalia’s investment climate. His participation will place investment facilitation alongside wider discussions on how entrepreneurs can access opportunities and grow their businesses.
Regional trade will be another focus of the gathering. Ahmed Farah’s keynote participation brings experience in trade facilitation, private-sector competitiveness and regional integration.
The organisers describe Farah’s professional background as including leadership at TradeMark Africa in Kenya, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and advisory roles at Deloitte East Africa and PwC.
His work has covered efforts to translate regional and continental trade commitments into practical improvements for businesses, including reducing trade costs, simplifying cross-border procedures and improving access to markets.
These issues connect with the forum’s broader interest in how Somali enterprises can participate more effectively in East African commerce and build partnerships beyond their domestic markets.
Mohamed Mohamud Abdullahi, Governor of Puntland State Bank, has also been announced as a panelist. His experience spans financial governance, development finance, public financial management and programmes supporting private-sector activity.
His background includes work in economic resilience, local economic development, trade facilitation and financial inclusion. According to his published forum profile, he will bring perspectives on the institutions and reforms needed to translate Somalia’s regional integration into opportunities for trade, investment and growth.
Technology discussions will include both the infrastructure businesses depend on and the emerging digital tools entrepreneurs can use.
Nour Omar, a Principal Software Engineer for machine learning and artificial intelligence at Microsoft, brings 25 years of experience in software engineering, AI and large-scale data systems, according to the organisers.
His work includes developing AI platforms that support Windows reliability through near-real-time anomaly detection and regression analysis. His previous experience includes machine-learning initiatives at Capital One and data-driven solutions at Verizon.
Omar’s participation will bring an international technology perspective to discussions on innovation and Africa’s digital future.
SEACOM’s Parag Patil will contribute experience in connectivity, cloud services, cybersecurity and enterprise technology. The organisers identify him as Managing Director for Kenya and Chief Commercial Officer for East Africa, Digital Services.
His work focuses on helping organisations adopt digital services and strengthen their business operations. His participation will connect the forum’s innovation agenda with the practical requirements of businesses seeking reliable, secure and scalable technology.
An entrepreneurial perspective on artificial intelligence will come from Zaki Harare, co-founder of Bookoob, who has been announced as a panelist.
Bookoob is described as a Somali-first digital knowledge platform exploring how AI can improve access to books, ideas and educational content. Harare’s interests include developing digital solutions for African languages that remain underrepresented online.
His participation will bring attention to opportunities for building technology around local languages and audiences, alongside the forum’s discussions on enterprise growth and innovation.
Access to investment will be examined through a panel titled “Unlocking Diaspora Capital through Blended Financing: Scaling Inclusive Investment Opportunities in Somalia.”
The session will be moderated by Sumeya Ali, a project management and development specialist with more than 15 years of experience across East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
Her professional background includes Somali diaspora engagement in East Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as monitoring and evaluation work for international development programmes.
The panel will explore how diaspora investment, development finance and innovative financing mechanisms can support entrepreneurship and sustainable economic activity in Somalia.
Among the announced panelists is Muhumed Muktar, Country Manager for the Somalia Stability Fund, SSF III. His experience includes governance, economic development, peacebuilding and public-sector reform across Somalia and Kenya.
The organisers highlight his work supporting initiatives that bring governments, communities, development partners and diaspora actors together to co-finance infrastructure and economic development projects.
Professor Mohamed Abdinoor Dahir has also been announced as a panelist, bringing experience in humanitarian action, institutional leadership and development across the Horn of Africa.
An academic, researcher and author of Beyond the Call, Dahir is identified in the forum profile as Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Kenya. His contribution will include perspectives on mobilising and directing diaspora capital towards sustainable investment opportunities.
Development finance practitioner Abdibasid Yuusuf Abdiasis, Chief Executive Officer of Headway Finance Initiative, will participate as a presenter.
His work focuses on financial inclusion, digital finance, private-capital mobilisation and financing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. His areas of interest include blended finance, impact investment, climate finance and digital financial infrastructure.
Security and its relationship with business activity will be addressed in a Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung-supported panel titled “The Security-Economy Nexus in Somalia.”
Anja Berretta, Head of the KAS Regional Programme Economy Africa, will moderate the discussion. Her background includes international cooperation, sustainable development, programme evaluation and institutional learning.
The announced panelists include Jamal Mohamed Ali, Chief Officer for Partnership and Coordination in the Garissa County Government; Mohamed Dubo, Director of the Somalia Unified Public Delivery Center, HALMEEL; and Hersio Abdulle Siad, Chairperson of Somali Women in Business and founder and Executive Director of Somfresh Fruits and Vegetable Inc.
Jamal brings experience in development cooperation and regional engagement, including advisory and consultancy work across the Horn of Africa. His contribution will address the intersection of security, trade, investment and economic development.
Dubo previously served as Director of SOMINVEST and brings experience in public administration, investment promotion and trade. He will contribute perspectives on governance and the challenges of attracting and sustaining investment.
Siad will bring the experience of an entrepreneur operating within Somalia’s agricultural supply chains. Through Somfresh, she supports small-scale farmers, including women in Afgoye and Bal’ad, with agricultural inputs, technical assistance and market access.
Her company supplies fresh produce to institutions and businesses in Mogadishu. Her participation will connect the security and investment discussion with the practical experiences of producers, suppliers and traders.
Business expansion across African markets will feature through Mohamed Guled, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dauus.
According to the organisers, Dauus operates across East and West Africa, with more than 70 products, 11 brands and a distribution network reaching approximately 25,000 retail outlets annually.
Guled is expected to share perspectives on scaling enterprises, developing distribution networks and pursuing cross-border growth.
Governance and institutional reform will also feature through World Bank Senior Governance Specialist Mohamud Yasin Jama. His experience includes public financial management, fiscal federalism, intergovernmental relations and institutional development in Somalia.
Former Kenyan Principal Secretary Fatuma Hirsi has been announced as a moderator, bringing experience across public service, communications, ICT and international development.
Other distinguished guests include Ambassador Mohamed Abd Affey; Muhumed Hussein, Senior Advisor to Somalia’s Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education; Amina Ibrahim Sheikh Abdulla, Concern Worldwide’s Regional Director for the Horn of Africa; and Mandera East MP Hussein Weytan Mohamed Abdirahman.
Their professional backgrounds span diplomacy, education, resilience, humanitarian leadership and community development. The announced guest list also includes the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Regional Representative for East Africa, extending the range of international trade perspectives represented at the forum.
GSEF co-founder and Director of Communications Abdinoor Maalims will participate in a session on “Shaping the Future of East Africa Through Innovation, Inclusive Governance, Regional Integration & Sustainable Investment.”
Farhiya Farah, a GSEF director responsible for international relations and partnerships, is supporting connections with governments, development partners and private-sector networks. She also brings experience in climate finance and sustainable investment as co-founder of Earth Story Africa.
Across the announced sessions, the forum will connect questions of business finance and market access with the governance, security and technology conditions that influence investment decisions.
For participating entrepreneurs, the gathering will provide an opportunity to engage with leaders whose work shapes trade policy, financial systems, digital services and enterprise development.
Registration for the October 24–25 forum is available through the GSEF registration page.