Somali Guides Steer Visitors Toward Mogadishu Beaches and Markets
A 23-year-old guide leads tourists to sand dunes and fish markets as visitor numbers to the capital rise.
By Simon Bennett ·
Local guides in Mogadishu are leading tourists away from the city's conflict-ridden reputation and toward its coastal attractions.
Sucdi Abdul Fattah Abdul Khader, 23, operates tours that take visitors to Jazeera beach and nearby sand dunes. She describes the dunes as a key feature for guests, noting that some visitors compare them to the Sahara. Her itinerary also includes the fish market, where tourists examine the variety of marine life along Somalia's coastline. The tours offer a view of the city's history as a trading center under Ottoman and Italian rule.
Abdul Khader joined the guiding profession nearly three years ago after her father, a guide with more than 30 years of experience, introduced her to the work. She now works alongside him and a team of other guides. The group uses social media, including TikTok, to promote their services and is considering creating content in English to reach a wider audience. Abdul Khader states that tourism is a new field in the region, with only a few guides active in the capital.
The tourism sector is seasonal, but Abdul Khader reports that this year has been encouraging. She defines a successful week as one with five tourists. While numbers remain low, she believes they will grow. Many visitors express concern about security before arriving, but Abdul Khader says their on-the-ground experience is generally positive. She notes that the image of the city formed by media coverage differs from the reality of welcoming locals and scenic landscapes.
Mogadishu has undergone gradual changes since the withdrawal of al-Shabab from most of the city in 2011 and the establishment of the federal government in 2012. Returning diaspora members and local investors have driven a construction boom that added hotels, restaurants, and residential developments. The country's tourism department reported that approximately 10,000 tourists visited Somalia in 2024, a 50 percent increase from the previous year.
American content creator Chris Reese visited Mogadishu solo almost a year ago and returned recently with a group of friends. He cites the city's coastal setting, food, and atmosphere as the main draws for the group. During their stay, the group dined overlooking the Indian Ocean and traveled to the sand dunes, which are about 30 minutes from the city. Reese said that prior to his trip, news reports portrayed Somalia as a destination to fear.
Mihaela Patap, a traveler from Romania, visited the sand dunes and the Indian Ocean coastline after arriving from Ethiopia. She described the desert and ocean as inspiring and noted that the local people felt warm and safe. Patap, who travels without preconceived notions, plans to share her experience on social media to encourage others to visit. Abdul Khader continues to work in a male-dominated industry, aiming to show visitors the cultural and natural aspects of Mogadishu that are often overlooked in international media.
Somalia possesses Africa's longest mainland coastline, stretching more than 3,000 kilometers along the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The geography places beaches and historic coastal cities, including Mogadishu, within the path of centuries of Indian Ocean trade. For Abdul Khader, each tour represents an opportunity to present a different view of the capital to visitors who arrive with expectations shaped by decades of civil war.
