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KAMPALA — Bilateral trade between Uganda and the United Arab Emirates surged to $4.7 billion in 2025, laying the groundwork for a major investment drive as both nations prepare to host their fifth business forum in the Gulf state.
The high-level summit, scheduled for October 26 to 29 across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah, aims to convert expanding commercial ties into firm deals across energy, mining, logistics, and agriculture. The event comes amid a period of rapid economic integration between East Africa’s landlocked economy and the Gulf logistics hub.
According to official figures released in Kampala, UAE foreign direct investment into Uganda reached $3.5 billion in 2025, up from approximately $300 million in 2018. Annual two-way trade has risen drastically over the same period, climbing from $600 million in 2018 and $2.7 billion in 2024 to $4.7 billion in 2025, driven largely by Ugandan exports entering Gulf markets.
“The success of this forum will ultimately be measured not only by the number of meetings held, but by the contracts signed, investments secured, exports generated, partnerships established, and jobs created as a result of the engagements,” said Ambassador Zaake Kibedi, Uganda’s Head of Mission to the UAE.
The four-day roadshow will target several key growth sectors, including agro-processing, mineral exploration, infrastructure, air cargo logistics, tourism, and financial services. Beyond trade flows, human capital ties have expanded in step; the diaspora of Ugandan nationals living and working in the UAE reached 150,000 in 2025, up from 50,000 in 2018.
The Ugandan government and its diplomacy mission in Abu Dhabi are positioning the October forum as a vehicle to secure long-term capital for domestic infrastructure and production capacities while establishing formal market access channels across the broader Gulf region.
