UAE reaffirms its growing strategic partnership with Africa

Addis Ababa, February 15, 2026 (FMC) – The United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its growing engagement with Africa, outlining its investments, trade partnerships, and development initiatives across the continent.

Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, attended the opening of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on February 14.

Speaking to journalists on the margins of the summit, the UAE offcial described the summit as an opportunity to assess the current UAE–Africa partnership, its areas of expansion, and alignment with Africa’s priorities under Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“Our engagement with Africa is rooted in decades of trade, maritime links, and people-to-people connections across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean corridors,” he said, noting the UAE’s expanding diplomatic footprint, with 19 embassies in Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside growing African representation in the UAE. “This reinforces our role as a hub for African trade, finance, and dialogue,” he added.

On the economic front, the UAE invested over USD 110 billion across Africa between 2019 and 2023, the highest level of investment by any single country during that period. More than USD 70 billion of this capital has been directed toward energy, green, and renewable sectors, reflecting the UAE’s view that energy access is central to industrialization and economic diversification.

Under the Africa Green Investment Initiative, USD 4.5 billion has been mobilized to accelerate clean energy development, with more than 60 projects under preparation in solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, and green hydrogen technologies. In addition, Masdar’s USD 10 billion Africa program and the Etihad 7 initiative aim to expand electricity access to up to 100 million people by 2035, addressing structural power deficits and supporting industrial growth.

Sheikh Shakhboot emphasized that industrial development is closely linked to trade integration and logistics. The UAE has concluded nine Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with African countries, including Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Angola, Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville, Mauritius, and the Central African Republic. These agreements extend beyond tariff reductions to services, digital trade, and investment protection, complementing the AfCFTA by strengthening value chains and cross-border competitiveness.

On infrastructure, DP World is implementing a USD 1 billion upgrade of Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Port, while AD Ports has broken ground on a new terminal in Luanda, Angola, significantly increasing container capacity and supporting regional integration ambitions.

Development and humanitarian assistance remain central to the UAE’s Africa strategy. Nearly 40% of the country’s foreign assistance over the past decade — around USD 20.9 billion — has been directed to African countries, covering development, humanitarian, and charitable projects.

Looking ahead, water and climate resilience are emerging as 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, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing water security and sanitation across the continent.

The UAE’s engagement, Sheikh Shakhboot said, represents a long-term partnership with Africa, built on decades of cooperation and designed to support sustainable development, regional integration, and industrial growth for years to come.