The 23-year-old guide showing visitors a different Mogadishu
Sucdi Abdul Fattah Abdul Khader takes tourists to beaches, fish markets and historic streets, and shares the tours on TikTok.
Mogadishu — Sucdi Abdul Fattah Abdul Khader wants the world to see Mogadishu's beaches, markets and history, not only the headlines.
The 23-year-old is one of a small but growing number of local guides in the Somali capital. Her favourite stop is Jazeera beach, near sand dunes that remind some visitors of the Sahara. Her tours also take in the fish market and parts of the city that reflect its past as an Indian Ocean trading centre, with Ottoman and Italian influences, and visitors can try camel meat, samosas and Somali tea.
"Mostly, they are surprised by how beautiful the country is and how welcoming people are," she told the BBC.
A family business
Her father has worked as a guide for more than 30 years and brought her into the business nearly three years ago. "I started this job as a hobby, but it has become something that I like and am passionate about," she said. She shares videos of her tours on TikTok and is thinking of making content in English.
The trade is seasonal, and five tourists a week counts as a success, but she expects numbers to grow. About 10,000 tourists visited Somalia in 2024, up 50% on the year before, according to the tourism department. Many visitors still ask about security, she says, but their experience on the ground is generally positive.
Source: BBC, November 2026.
