56 Facts About Abdiweli Gaas

Abdiweli Gaas served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from June 2011 to October 2012, and briefly afterwards as an MP in the newly formed Federal Parliament.

Abdiweli Gaas signed a 12-point bilateral agreement in Garowe with Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, which officially reaffirms Puntland's boundaries, agrees to form a united and inclusive national army, and establishes parliamentary committees consisting of Federal and Puntland representatives to ensure equitable allocation of resources and oversee eventual Provisional Constitution talks.

Abdiweli Gaas established a governmental committee to formulate an official money remittance policy for the Puntland regional state.

Abdiweli Gaas is multilingual, being fluent in Somali, Arabic, Italian and English.

Abdiweli Gaas is married to Hodan Isse, founder of HEAL, and university professor.

Abdiweli Gaas later moved to the United States for his post-graduate studies, and in 1988, he obtained an MA degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University as an AFGRAD Fellow.

Abdiweli Gaas then was a Bradley Fellow at George Mason University, first in the Department of Economics between 1994 and 1995, then at the Center for Study of Public Choice between 1995 and 1998.

Abdiweli Gaas conducted his doctoral research at this university where obtained his PhD degree in economics in 2000.

Abdiweli Gaas later moved to Niagara County in New York state, where he was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Commerce of Niagara University, having joined the school in 2003.

Abdiweli Gaas has written articles for many peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Business and Economics Research, International Advances in Economic Research, and the Journal of Public Choice.

On 12 June 2010, Abdiweli Gaas was appointed the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation as well as one of several deputy prime ministers.

On 19 June 2011, Abdiweli Gaas was appointed the Acting Premier of Somalia after Prime Minister Mohamed abruptly resigned from office as part of a controversial agreement signed in Kampala between the President and the Parliament Speaker.

On 4 July 2011, in one of his first policy initiatives, Abdiweli Gaas appointed a national committee to tackle the severe drought that was then affecting large parts of the country and the larger East Africa region.

On 7 August 2012, Prime Minister Abdiweli Gaas announced that his government was set to re-establish the Somali Navy, which had disbanded shortly after the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s.

Abdiweli Gaas indicated that he had asked the international community to support the Somali government's extant efforts aimed at developing its maritime defensive capacity, including the possibility of acquiring speed boats and warships to more effectively secure the country's extensive seaboard.

Prime Minister Abdiweli Gaas has been credited with devising the formal "Roadmap for the End of Transition", a political process that provided clear benchmarks leading toward the establishment of permanent democratic institutions in Somalia by mid-2012, when the Transitional Federal Government's mandate expired.

In early August 2012, Prime Minister Abdiweli Gaas officially announced his intention to present himself as a presidential candidate in Somalia's 2012 elections.

Abdiweli Gaas later arrived in Puntland to confer with political and clan leaders in Galkayo and Qardho so as to strengthen ties with the opposition and secure new supporters.

However, a late rally by Abdiweli Gaas saw him eventually win the election, narrowly defeating Farole by 33 votes to 32.

Abdiweli Gaas pledged to defend and adhere to the Puntland Constitution, and called for collaboration in the development and security sectors.

Abdiweli Gaas thanked all members of government for having worked for the greater communal good, and pledged to assist the incoming leadership with any advice and consultations should it require them.

President Abdiweli Gaas in turn thanked the outgoing Puntland administration for its achievements, and vowed to continue and build on them.

Abdiweli Gaas indicated that his administration would facilitate commercial development and trade by renovating and growing the region's existing transport infrastructure, and would seek to tap into Puntland's natural resources through inclusive cooperation.

Additionally, Abdiweli Gaas pledged to deliver social services in the areas of free education, health and women's development, and highlighted the importance of strengthening relations with the federal government.

Abdiweli Gaas likewise gave a 100-day window for the unity conference for Puntland's various constituencies, vowing to revive the "spirit of 1998" when Puntland state was established.

On 15 January 2014, Abdiweli Gaas appointed Deeq Sulaiman Yusuf as the new Director of the Presidential Palace of Puntland.

Abdiweli Gaas concurrently held his first press conference as Puntland President, during which he announced that he was in the process of forming a lean cabinet.

Abdiweli Gaas indicated that he would consult with the electorate before unveiling the new council of ministers.

Abdiweli Gaas pledged to include more women in the incoming cabinet, and vowed to strengthen the security sector.

On 15 January 2014, President Abdiweli Gaas engaged in a question and answer session with over 100 members of the public at the Puntland Development Research Center in Garowe.

Abdiweli Gaas indicated that he intended to tap into existing institutional capacity building initiatives and opportunities, including sending government staff abroad for special skills training.

Additionally, Abdiweli Gaas pledged to prioritize administrative transparency, as well as launch social campaigns on justice.

Abdiweli Gaas indicated that effective policies were scheduled for the payment of civil service salaries.

Abdiweli Gaas likewise announced that he would hold a reconciliation conference for Puntland's various constituencies, describing the initiative as the first step in his administration's action plan and a priority for his government.

On 27 January 2014, ahead of the announcement of a new Cabinet, President Abdiweli Gaas hosted a luncheon for Members of the Puntland Parliament at the state capital Garowe.

President Abdiweli Gaas briefed the gathered legislators about his government program, reiterating his focus on commercial development, security, reconciliation and institutional capacity building.

In March 2014, President Abdiweli Gaas discussed bilateral cooperation with a European Union delegation led by EU Envoy to Somalia Michele Cervone d'Urso.

In October 2014, Abdiweli Gaas met again with EU Special Envoy Cervone d'Urso at the Puntland State House in Garowe.

President Abdiweli Gaas welcomed the initiative, noting that marine cooperation with national and international stakeholders would impact activities on both sea and land, including coastal development projects.

On 28 March 2014, Abdiweli Gaas met in Bosaso with the UAE Ambassador to Somalia Mohamed Al Osmani to discuss bilateral relations.

In May 2014, Puntland President Abdiweli Gaas made an official visit to Yemen to discuss bilateral cooperation between the Puntland and Yemeni governments with President of Yemen Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

On 21 May 2014, Abdiweli Gaas chaired a one-day roundtable meeting on the Puntland regional state's development priorities and targets at the Puntland Development Research Center in Garowe.

Abdiweli Gaas opened the conference with a briefing of his administration's development goals for the next five years, which would be centered on economic growth, health, education and security.

The roundtable meeting concluded with a joint press conference including EU Envoy to Somalia Ambassador Michele Cervone D'urso, during which President Abdiweli Gaas announced that the international representatives had agreed to support the Puntland administration's five-year development plan.

The initiative is part of a campaign pledge by Abdiweli Gaas to focus on tapping into Puntland's commercial potential through various development projects.

In November 2014, Abdiweli Gaas conferred with UNHABITAT Head of Office for Somalia Dragan Tatic on the completion of roads and houses in Bosaso, as well as water development projects in the region.

In December 2014, Abdiweli Gaas laid the foundation stone for a new runway at the Bender Qassim International Airport in Bosaso.

Abdiweli Gaas described the initiative as a flagship project aimed at advancing the local aviation sector.

In October 2014, Abdiweli Gaas led a Puntland delegation to participate in the Global African Investment Summit in London.

In January 2015, President Abdiweli Gaas met with the EU head of Civilian Operations Commander for all Civilian Common Security Defence Policy Missions Kenneth Deane in Garowe.

In March 2015, Abdiweli Gaas established a government committee to formulate an official money remittance policy for the Puntland regional state.

In March 2015, Abdiweli Gaas participated in a public question and answer session held at the East Africa University's Garowe branch.

Abdiweli Gaas opened the session with a short speech on ongoing development projects that his administration is implementing in the regional state.

The official invitation was the second one that Abdiweli Gaas had received on behalf of Puntland and Somalia as a whole.

Abdiweli Gaas is therein scheduled to brief his counterparts on the sociopolitical situation in Puntland and Somalia at large, regional counter-terrorism operations and economic development, among other matters.

In May 2015, Abdiweli Gaas led a large Puntland delegation to Rome to discuss various bilateral matters.