Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlined the United Arab Emirates’ expanding diplomatic, economic and development engagement with Africa during a media briefing held Saturday on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Summit.
Speaking at the Grand Hyatt Addis Ababa, Sheikh Shakhboot described the UAE–Africa partnership as one rooted in “decades of trade, maritime links and people-to-people connections” across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean corridors, now evolving into a long-term, strategic cooperation aligned with Africa’s development priorities under African Union Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“This is an opportunity for a candid exchange on where the UAE–Africa partnership stands today — what is driving it, where it is expanding, and how it aligns with Africa’s own priorities,” he said in his opening remarks.
Expanding Diplomatic Footprint
The minister highlighted the UAE’s growing diplomatic presence across the continent, noting that the country now maintains 19 embassies in Sub-Saharan Africa, with further expansion underway. African diplomatic representation in the UAE has also increased steadily, reinforcing the Emirates’ position as a hub for African trade, finance and dialogue.
$110 Billion in Investment Commitments
Between 2019 and 2023, the UAE committed more than $110 billion in investments across Africa, which Sheikh Shakhboot described as the highest level by any single country during that period. More than $70 billion of that total has been directed toward energy, green and renewable sectors.
He framed energy access as foundational to industrialisation and economic diversification, underscoring the UAE’s focus on long-term structural investments.
Under the Africa Green Investment Initiative, $4.5 billion has been mobilised to accelerate clean energy development, with more than 60 projects in preparation spanning solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage and green hydrogen technologies.
The UAE’s renewable energy company Masdar is advancing a $10 billion Africa programme, while the Etihad 7 initiative aims to expand electricity access to up to 100 million people by 2035. Sheikh Shakhboot said these projects are designed to increase generation capacity and reduce structural power deficits that constrain economic growth.
Trade Agreements and Logistics Expansion
Industrial growth, he noted, also depends on deeper trade integration and efficient logistics networks. The UAE has concluded nine Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with African countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Angola, Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville, Mauritius and the Central African Republic.
According to the minister, these agreements extend beyond tariff reductions to cover services, digital trade and investment protection, and are structured to complement AfCFTA by strengthening regional value chains and cross-border competitiveness.
On infrastructure, Dubai-based ports operator DP World continues to expand operations across African ports, including a $1 billion upgrade of Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania. Meanwhile, AD Ports Group has broken ground on a new terminal in Luanda, Angola, significantly increasing container capacity.
“These are long-term trade-enabling assets aligned with regional integration ambitions,” Sheikh Shakhboot said.
Development and Humanitarian Assistance
Beyond investment, the minister stressed that development and humanitarian engagement remain central pillars of the UAE’s Africa policy. Over the past decade, nearly 40 percent of the UAE’s total foreign assistance — approximately $20.9 billion — has been directed to African countries, spanning development, humanitarian and charitable programmes.
Looking ahead, water security and climate resilience are emerging priorities. The UAE will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference with Senegal from 2–4 December 2026, marking the first time two Global South countries jointly lead the global process.
Sheikh Shakhboot said the initiative underscores a shared commitment to accelerating progress on water security and sanitation — key development challenges across much of the continent.
“Our approach reflects the lens through which we view this partnership,” he concluded. “It is structural cooperation built for the decades ahead.”