Home » Somalia Hotel Terrorist Attack Victim: Hodan Naleyeh Bio, Wiki, Age, Husband (Farid), Net Worth, Fast Facts You Need to Know
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Somalia Hotel Terrorist Attack Victim: Hodan Naleyeh Bio, Wiki, Age, Husband (Farid), Net Worth, Fast Facts You Need to Know

July 13, 2019
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Hodan Naleyeh Bio

Canadian-Somalia journalist Hodan Naleyeh and her husband Farid have also been confirmed in Somalia Hotel Terrorist Attack as dead.


Hodan Nalayeh was a Somali-Canadian media executive, marketing consultant, social activist and entrepreneur. She was the President of the Cultural Integration Agency and the Vice President of Sales & Programming Development of Cameraworks Productions International.

Hodan Naleyeh Age

She was 43 years old.

Hodan Naleyeh Early Life, Parents, Sisters, Family


Nalayeh was born in 1976 in Somalia. She grew up in a large family, with four brothers and seven sisters.
Along with her parents and siblings, a six-year-old Nalayeh later emigrated to Canada in 1984. They initially settled in Edmonton, Alberta, before eventually moving to Toronto in 1992.

Hodan Naleyeh Education

Nalayeh attended the West Humber Collegiate Institute, a high school in Etobicoke. For her post-secondary education, she studied at the University of Windsor, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Additionally, she earned a postgraduate certificate in broadcast journalism from Seneca College. Hodan was the mother of two sons. Her sister Dega Nalayeh is a senior vice president private client advisor with U.S. Trust.


Besides Somali, Hodan was also fluent in English.

Hodan Naleyeh Nationality

She is a somalian Canadian.

Hodan Naleyeh TV Programs

Nalayeh’s Integration TV program launched in 2014. During its run she interviewed guests including former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne.

Hodan Naleyeh Somali Refugees Project

She was also the founder of the Somali Refugees Awareness Project, a non-profit organization that advocates for Somali refugees across the world.

Hodan Naleyeh Kids


Nalayeh was the mother of two boys.
On one of her social media accounts, she described herself as: “Mom. Optimist. Journalist. TV Host.”
“Passionate about sharing #Somali stories.”

Hodan Naleyeh Career

Nalayeh had over thirteen years of experience in client management, sales and production in radio and television. She served as a producer on a number of TV shows, including American Idoland So You Think You Can Dance.
Additionally, Nalayeh provided marketing and writing consultancy to burgeoning companies. Her work in this area was centered on video marketing combined with online branding.


In September 2013, Nalayeh was appointed Vice President of Sales & Programming Development of Cameraworks Productions International’s Canadian operation based in Vaughan, Ontario. The company is a global, full-service and comprehensively-equipped video and television production facility focusing on pre- to post-production of business-to-business video assets.
Nalayeh also served as the President of the Cultural Integration Agency, a full-service media firm specializing in the development, production, marketing and distribution of multicultural programs. In February 2014, the company partnered with Cameraworks Productions International to produce a new television format for cultural community programming. To this end, on March 1 Nalayeh began hosting the half-hour Somali community show Integration: Building A New Cultural Identity, which airs Saturday nights on CityTV. She also served as an Executive Producer on the weekly Toronto program.

Hodan Naleyeh Philanthropy


Besides media production and consultancy, Nalayeh did a lot of volunteer and advocacy work for the Somali community. She founded the Somali Refugee Awareness Project, which in 2011 presented the veteran Somali artist Saado Ali Warsame with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In this capacity, Nalayeh also worked closely with a number of non-profit organizations.

Hodan Naleyeh Death, Somalia Hotel Terrorist Attack 

Hodan Nalayeh and her husband Farid were killed during a terrorist attack at Hotel Casey in Kismayo, Somalia, on July 12, 2019. The attack involved a car bombing and gunfire. Jihadist fundamentalist group Al-Shabaab based in Southern Somalia claimed responsibility for the attack.


A Somali official says the attack started with a suicide car bomb blast and then gunmen stormed a hotel in the port city of Kismayo.
Global Affairs Canada has not confirmed the deaths but says it is aware of a bombing in Somalia and say consular officials in Nairobi, Kenya are in contact with local authorities to gather additional
Somalia’s al-Shabab Islamic rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Fast Facts You Need to Know

  • At least one Briton confirmed dead in a bomb attack on a hotel in southern Somalia
  • The death toll has now risen to 26 victims including Americans and Kenyans 
  • Canadian-Somalia journalist Hodan Naleyeh has also been confirmed as dead

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