UAE seeks deeper ties with African businesses

Dubai Chamber Chief Executive Hamad Buamim. [File, Standard]

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) is set to host a forum aimed at firming up relations between businesses operating in Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The fifth edition of the Global Business Forum (GBF) on Africa will be held in November this year under the theme “Scale Up Africa”. The event is expected to bring together African and UAE government officials and business leaders to explore avenues of economic cooperation and facilitate bilateral trade and investment flows.

Organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the fifth GBF Africa is part of Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum series, which focuses emerging markets across Africa, Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The high-level forum will place a key focus on forging the connections that will enable scale up, and explore how public and private sector players in Africa and the UAE can work together for sustainable partnerships.

“Over the years, the GBF on Africa has established itself as one of the world’s leading platforms that foster cooperation between Africa and the UAE and positions Dubai as a global gateway for African companies. The forum offers an unrivalled opportunity for key decision makers to explore investment opportunities in Africa and forge new partnerships that pave the way for mutual benefits and economic growth,” said Dubai Chamber Chief Executive Hamad Buamim (pictured) in a statement.

“This year’s theme highlights the importance of sustainable development as an engine and catalyst for economic and social progress in Africa, while it also sets the tone for constructive dialogue about key trends that are driving the continent’s next phase of growth,” he said.

Buamim said GBF Africa supports the chamber’s global strategy and ongoing expansion efforts in Africa, where the organisation currently operates four representative offices in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Kenya.

He noted that the forum would offer valuable insights on business potential in unexplored African markets.