Qatar has emerged as a key geopolitical player in East Africa, leveraging diplomacy to expand its influence in Somalia and Kenya. Somalia recently announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Kenya, severed in December 2020, following a high-level Qatari delegation led by Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani. The intervention underscores Doha’s strategic role in brokering regional settlements and securing its economic interests, including investments in Kenya’s Lamu Basin offshore energy reserves. Al-Qahtani’s visit to Mogadishu involved consultations with Somali Prime Minister Mohammed Roble, opposition presidential candidates, and a brief engagement with outgoing President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo, reflecting Qatar’s discreet encouragement for political transition in Somalia. The Gulf state’s engagement illustrates its transactional yet pragmatic approach to diplomacy balancing investment protection, maritime dispute mediation, and influence over Somali political actors.