The seat of the Puntland government, opened in 2013, is a visible symbol of the semi-autonomous region's effort to build functioning institutions since its establishment in 1998. The palace is not open to visitors, but the building itself — modern, walled, set apart from the rest of the city — gives a sense of Garowe's role as a functioning regional capital rather than just an administrative label.
The surrounding government quarter contains the parliament, ministries, and the Supreme Court — a concentration of institutions that makes Garowe look, at least architecturally, like a place where governance is taken seriously. The contrast with the rest of Puntland, where infrastructure outside Garowe and Bossaso is minimal, is striking.