Gabiley

Gabiley is located 58 km west of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. It is in the center of the Gabiley district, bounded on the north by the Gulf of Aden, on the west by the Awdal region, on the east by the Hargeisa district, and on the south by the Somali Region of Ethiopia.[5]

The majority of the people in the district have been settled there for the last 300 years. There are more major and minor towns in Gabiley district than anywhere else in Somaliland.[6]

Major towns:

• Gabiley, district capital of the region
• Wajaale
• Arabsiyo
• Kalabaydh
• Allaybaday

Minor towns:

• Agabar
• El Bardale
• Ceel-Sheekh
• Galooley
• Harcadaad
• Geedbalaadh
• Galadweyne
• Argeegta
• Teysa
• Xidhinta
• Ijaara
• Boqor
• Bus
• AliHaydh
• Gogeysa
• GeedAbeera

Gabiley is one of the oldest towns in Somaliland after Zeila, Berbera and Amud. Some stones left behind in the area were believed to have been earmarked for the construction of pyramids.[7]

The town of Gabiley has a population of around 106,914.[1]

The Gabiley District in which the city is situated is inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, with the Jibril Abokor subclan of the Habr Awal the main residents of this district.[8][9]

Primary schools, Secondary schools and University education is available throughout the district. The smaller communities have their own primary schools. For post-secondary education, Timacade University was opened in 1999 to serve the needs of the town's students. The education system in Gabiley region is growing in a faster pace than most of Somaliland.[10]

Gabiley has 5 operating general hospital. One massive hospital opened in 2010, it provides medical services to the larger region.

In 2016 the municipal government was led by Mahamed-Amiin Omer Abdi who is the current mayor of Gabiley city and the governor of Gabiley region.[11]

Farmer near the town of Gabiley

Gabiley is the main farm land for Somaliland and produces up to 85% of Somaliland's food supplies. It is known for its agricultural and farming industry, and is where most of Somaliland's crops are produced. Crops grown in the area include apples, oranges, bananas, corn, pears, maize, wheat, barley, beans, lemon, peas, groundnuts, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, salad and cabbages, broccoli, watermelon, papaya and many other types of fruits and vegetables. Gabiley is considered to be the most fertile region in Somaliland.[12]

The climate here is considered to be a local steppe climate. There is not much rainfall in Gabiley all year long. According to Köppen-Geiger system, this climate is classified as (BSh). In Gabiley, the average annual temperature is 21.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 489 mm. The driest month is December, with 2 mm of rain. In August, the precipitation reaches its peak, with an average of 91 mm. June is the warmest month of the year. The temperature in June averages 24.5 °C. At 17.6 °C on average, January is the coldest month of the year. There is a difference of 89 mm of precipitation between the driest and wettest months. The variation in annual temperature is around 6.9 °C.

Gabiley is the only district in the Somaliland that has maintained telephone lines to every house since the start of the civil war. There are also mobile services, internet facilities and underground running tap water. The district is highly self sufficient and advanced compare to other districts in Somaliland.

• Abdillahi Suldaan Mohammed Timacade, prominent Somali poet during the pre- and post-colonial period from Galooley who conducted public readings in the area. He belongs to the Ali Jibril (Reer Hareed) sub-clan of the Jibril Abokor clan.
• Mohamed Hasan Abdullahi, former Chief of Staff of Somaliland Armed Forces and SNM General. He belongs to the Ali Jibril (Reer Dalal) sub-clan of the Jibril Abokor clan.
• Mo Farah, British four-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated athlete in British athletics history; belongs to the Muhammed Jibril (Deriyahan) sub-clan of the Jibril Abokor clan.[14]
• Nuh Ismail Tani, current Chief of Staff of Somaliland Armed Forces. He belongs to the Ali Jibril (Reer Hareed) of the Jibril Abokor clan.

• Gabiley news (Somali)
• Gabiley - coordinates