Taha Hassib (Abu Dhabi)
The UAE has always stressed the importance of strengthening its relations with the African continent, and supports everything that achieves development, stability and peace there, within a strategic direction adopted by the state under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, which aims to strengthen development relations with the countries of the continent, for the good and prosperity of all. The state’s interest in the African continent stems from clear visions based on the “win-win” logic, which achieves common interests and opens promising windows of partnership in all fields, within aspirations for a prosperous future and mutual benefits.
Over the past decade, the UAE has become the fourth largest foreign investor in Africa, after China, the European Union and the United States. The country is convinced of the huge potential of the thriving African markets, while African countries recognize the UAE as a pivotal export destination, with the UAE ranking among the top ten importers of goods from more than a dozen African countries, a result of relations that began 53 years ago.
Emirati diplomacy has succeeded in establishing solid cooperative relations with 37 out of 54 countries across the African continent.
In addition to the close relations that unite the UAE with the Arab countries of North Africa, the country has strengthened its relations with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul, visited the Republic of Mali in 1985, and Abu Dhabi received the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, in 1998. The UAE’s diplomatic relations with the countries of the continent are growing day after day through strategic partnerships and development relations aimed at confronting common challenges, achieving the interests of peoples, and ensuring prosperity and stability.
Strategic position
On August 12, the UN Secretary-General raised the issue of strengthening African representation in the Security Council. The idea of having Africa represented by a permanent member in the Security Council has been raised for years, which means a growing global awareness of the strategic importance of the African continent, its 54 countries out of 193 member states of the United Nations, and its population of 1.3 billion people.
In a statement to Al-Ittihad, Rashid Ceesay, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the UAE and Dean of African Ambassadors to the State, praised the UAE’s strong interest in Africa, noting that recently, there has been a significant increase in trade and investment flows between the UAE and many countries on the continent, in addition to mediation and providing humanitarian support during conflicts and disasters in affected African countries. Ceesay stressed that the UAE’s positive stance towards Africa is undoubtedly an example of an effective partnership based on mutual respect and trust, which is growing to higher heights.
Platform for Cultural Partnership
On October 24, 2022, during the Cultural Summit held on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the “UAE-Africa Partnership Platform” was announced, in order to enhance the UAE’s partnership with sub-Saharan African countries, and to build bridges of communication and cultural, intellectual, and economic exchange with the peoples of these friendly countries in various sectors such as education, health, energy, sustainability, science, arts, heritage, thought, and literature.
UAE hosts Africa Debt
For over a decade, Africa Debate has been a magnet for investors and businesses interested in Africa, attracting over 500 delegates each year. In previous editions, the conference in London has offered unparalleled networking opportunities and insights into the latest trends and developments driving Africa’s economic future. The conference discusses the continent’s trade and investment landscape, as well as its leadership position on the international stage. As the largest investor in the continent among GCC countries, the UAE will host the next edition of the conference in Dubai on October 31.
Youth Empowerment
On February 9, 2020, the UAE announced the “Strategic Consortium for Africa”, a new initiative with a $500 million investment commitment, which aims to contribute to achieving the vision of a new, more connected and empowered continent, led by youth, and was announced at the African Union with the aim of building human capital on the continent in the long term.
Supporting reconciliation and stability
In parallel with development support, the UAE has consolidated its role in supporting stability and peace in Africa, as the mediation undertaken by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, succeeded in ending the longest conflict on the continent, which lasted for nearly two decades between Eritrea and Ethiopia, as part of efforts that culminated in the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries on July 25, 2018. Under the title: “United for a More Prosperous Somalia”, the capital, Abu Dhabi, hosted on February 8 the fifth meeting of the Quintet “Somali Consultative Group” (QUINT), with the participation of the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Britain and the United States. The group addressed the current situation in Somalia, through a comprehensive strategic roadmap for the year 2024.
On August 2, the UAE welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda in the North Kivu region of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and praised the role of Angola and the African Union in reaching the agreement, which the UAE considered an important step towards achieving security, stability and prosperity in the region.
Humanitarian aid
As a major contributor to humanitarian aid to Sudan and Africa, on June 17, the UAE allocated 70% of its pledge announced last April during the meetings of the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan, amounting to $100 million, to UN agencies and humanitarian and relief organizations, in support of humanitarian efforts in Sudan. The UAE’s humanitarian aid extends to the Sahel group of countries, which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger, as they are among the least developed countries in the world. During the period from 2018 to 2023, the UAE provided aid worth $750 million to the group, about 75% of which was provided in the form of development aid, while charitable and humanitarian aid accounted for 16% and 9%, respectively. In October 2022, the UAE provided about $85 million to address humanitarian challenges in the Horn of Africa region and support humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, in coordination with the Famine Relief Fund.
Great investment prospects
The promising development opportunities within the African continent open up major investment horizons, which clearly emerged in 2022 and 2023 through new investments that the UAE intends to activate in Africa, totaling $97 billion, and extending to the sectors of renewable energy, ports, mining, communications, agriculture, industry and real estate. According to a report by the Economic Commission for Africa, the countries of the continent are the fastest growing in the world in 2024, including: Senegal, Niger, Ivory Coast, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among the developing countries, Africa was the fastest growing region after East and South Asia in 2023, and the countries of the continent will continue this trend in 2024 and 2025. On August 12, the Ministry of Economy announced the launch of its digital platform, “UAE – AFRICA GATEWAY”, with the aim of encouraging local companies in the country to invest and expand in African markets, and strengthening economic and investment partnerships between the UAE and African countries.
Logistics
The UAE has invested in its points of distinction and leadership elements within Africa, and within this framework, logistics services, especially air and maritime transport lines, come through the Abu Dhabi Ports Group and DP World, as the latter has logistics activities in 12 African countries, with investments amounting to 3 billion US dollars, and manages ports in Mozambique on the Indian Ocean coast in the southeast of the continent, in Algeria on the Mediterranean coast, and Angola on the Atlantic Ocean. In October 2019, DP World launched the Kigali Logistics Platform in Rwanda to become a gateway in the heart of Africa, linking Rwanda to neighboring countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. This platform provides an opportunity to connect with the port of Mombasa in Kenya and the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, providing it with two commercial gateways on the Indian Ocean. Between 2000 and 2023, 14 UAE companies have investments in Rwanda exceeding $320 million, specializing in the mining, logistics, agriculture, transportation and hospitality sectors. Abu Dhabi Ports Group has also expanded its activities in North Africa and the Red Sea with investments amounting to $140 million, after the group purchased a 70% stake in Transmar International Shipping Company and Transcargo International Company.
The ports sector in North Africa is receiving attention from the UAE, through investments in Egypt, especially in the ports affiliated with the Suez Canal Economic Zone, including: Ain Sokhna and Port Said ports, which enjoy a vital strategic location on the Red Sea and are close to the Horn of Africa region, and have a distinguished logistical infrastructure, which includes an economic zone in which major countries such as: China and Russia invest.
Climate Finance
The UAE has invested more than $12 billion in development and renewable energy projects across Africa, through partnerships with the public and private sectors, as the UAE continues to mobilize international efforts to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. During the COP28 conference in Dubai Expo City in 2023, the “Africa Green Investment Initiative” was launched, a financing initiative between the UAE and Africa in the field of clean energy worth AED 16.5 billion, with the participation of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, “Etihad Credit Ins
urance”, “Masdar” and “Amea Power”, to cooperate with the “Africa 50” group, as a strategic partner, to work on developing 15 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030.
On April 16, the Global Climate Finance Centre, headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market, announced that it would host the initiative’s secretariat. The Centre is one of COP28’s initiatives to stimulate investment in climate solutions. Currently, investment in African renewable energy sources represents only 2% of total global investment in this promising sector, which is less than the estimated value of around $60 billion annually by 2030.
Renewable energy
Clean energy represents a point of distinction through which the UAE has been able to open promising horizons for partnership with African countries. Over the past ten years, Masdar has invested in five wind farms in South Africa, launched a battery storage system in Senegal, and built solar energy facilities in Mauritania. Masdar has plans to invest in increasing electricity production by 10 gigawatts in sub-Saharan Africa, worth $10 billion. On January 18, 2023, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the UAE and Ethiopia signed an agreement to develop a photovoltaic solar energy project, as part of growing relations between the two countries, reflected in the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to Ethiopia on August 18, 2023. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries also reached $6 billion, and the number of Emirati investment projects in Ethiopia reached more than 113 projects, according to statements by Mohammed Salem Al Rashidi, UAE Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
During the Africa Climate Summit in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which was held from September 4 to 6, 2023, the UAE pledged $4.5 billion in funding to develop 15 gigawatts of clean energy in Africa by 2030, as part of financing initiatives to accelerate sustainable projects that benefit African communities.
Oil and Gas
In the field of oil and gas, the horizons of cooperation between the UAE and Mozambique extend through the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which invests in the Rovuma gas basin.
The UAE seeks to boost its local industries through its investments in the mining sector in Africa. Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have promising opportunities in this sector, and Emirates Global Aluminium extracts bauxite ore from Guinea (the third largest producer in the world and the first in Africa).
In the communications sector, the Emirati company Etisalat has investments in 12 African countries.
Food security
In the field of food security, Africa has become a destination for Emirati investments in the fields of agriculture, as the dark continent has the largest share in 14 Emirati agricultural projects, in addition to 56 agreements to enhance African food security, and projects in countries with distinguished agricultural resources such as Egypt, Sudan, Morocco and Ethiopia, as part of effective efforts that made the UAE ranked 23rd in the Global Food Security Index for the year 2022, and it also comes at the forefront of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa region in this important index.
Winner-winner
The UAE has succeeded in developing its diplomatic relations with the countries of the African continent, to become a strategic partner that keeps pace with the development ambitions of the African peoples, and transfers the country’s expertise and excellence in innovative qualitative sectors, based on the logic of mutual benefits or the (win-win) policy.
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