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Eric Trump, a senior executive at the Trump Organization and son of U.S. President Donald Trump, has denied reports suggesting he held talks with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi regarding potential port investments during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The denial follows media claims that the two figures met on the sidelines of the high-profile global gathering.
According to a statement issued by Eric Trump’s spokesperson, Kimberly Benza, there was no private meeting or discussion of business matters between Eric Trump and the Somaliland leader. She clarified that President Abdullahi attended a dinner reception where Eric Trump was present among many other guests and that a photograph taken during the event had been misinterpreted as evidence of a formal engagement.
“At no point did Eric Trump ever have a meeting with the Somaliland president,” Benza said. “Nor did he discuss a port or any investment opportunities. There were well over 100 people in the room.” She emphasized that any interaction between the two was limited to basic social courtesies and did not go beyond brief greetings. “Pleasantries were exchanged, that is it,” she added.
The dinner, held behind closed doors during the Davos meetings, brought together a range of political and business figures. During the gathering, President Abdullahi reportedly used the opportunity to highlight investment prospects in Somaliland, with particular focus on the Berbera port. The port is a deep-sea facility located along a major global shipping route and is often presented by Somaliland officials as a key asset for trade and regional logistics.
Among those in attendance was Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who later shared on social media that he was pleased to have met the Somaliland president at the event. Herzog did not mention Eric Trump in his post. Two individuals who were present at the dinner said Eric Trump and President Abdullahi briefly shook hands at the beginning and end of the event but did not engage in any meaningful or extended discussion.
The presence of Eric Trump at the event drew attention due to his senior role within the Trump Organization, the family-owned business empire with interests in real estate, hospitality, and more recently, cryptocurrency ventures. Although he is the son of the sitting U.S. president, Eric Trump does not hold any official government position and does not represent U.S. foreign policy.
During President Trump’s first term in office, the Trump Organization introduced voluntary ethics rules that prevented the company from pursuing new business deals outside the United States. However, shortly before President Trump’s second inauguration, the organization announced updated guidelines that removed this restriction, allowing for potential international business opportunities.
The broader context of the Davos encounter is shaped by Somaliland’s ongoing quest for international recognition. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of Somalia’s central government. Despite maintaining relative stability and its own governing institutions for more than three decades, Somaliland is not recognized as a sovereign state by the United Nations or most of the international community.
That status has come under renewed scrutiny after Israel formally recognized Somaliland last month, becoming the first country to do so. The move has been strongly criticized by Somalia and several regional and international actors, who argue that recognizing Somaliland undermines Somalia’s territorial integrity and could increase tensions in the Horn of Africa.
Against this sensitive political backdrop, Eric Trump’s representatives have sought to distance him from any suggestion of direct involvement in investment talks with Somaliland, stressing that reports of such discussions are inaccurate and overstated.