The government of Uganda has inaugurated the Uganda Business Center in the United Arab Emirates, a strategic step aimed at expanding market access for exporters and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The launch was announced by Ambassador Kibedi Zaake during the Fourth Uganda–UAE Business Forum held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
Speaking to over 300 business leaders, investors, and policymakers from both nations, Ambassador Kibedi said the center will serve as a “one-stop hub” for Ugandan companies to access Gulf markets, improve product quality, and gain vital market intelligence. “If we work closely with this center, Uganda’s export numbers will dramatically increase,” he emphasized.
Jointly established by Uganda’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai, the center will offer export readiness training, certification guidance, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs targeting the UAE’s growing demand for African products.
Strengthening Uganda–UAE Trade Relations
Trade between Uganda and the UAE has surged from $600 million in 2018 to $2.85 billion in 2024, making the UAE Uganda’s top export destination. The Uganda Business Center is expected to further boost this growth by helping traders bridge information gaps that limit their competitiveness in global markets.
Uganda’s key exports to the UAE include gold, coffee, fish, and fresh produce. Ambassador Kibedi noted that, with stronger coordination, trade volumes could “easily grow tenfold.” The UAE has also become a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Uganda, which rose from $100 million in 2018 to $3.5 billion in 2024.
Prominent Emirati investors such as AMEA Power, Alpha MBM Investments, DP World, and Masdar are expanding their presence in Uganda’s renewable energy, real estate, logistics, and agro-industrial sectors.
Driving Economic Transformation Through Partnerships
The Uganda Business Center aligns with the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which seeks to transform Uganda into a $500 billion economy by 2040 through industrialization and export diversification. Ambassador Kibedi drew parallels with the UAE’s own economic journey, noting that strategic partnerships and disciplined innovation can drive similar success for Uganda.
With six daily flights between Entebbe and Dubai and a growing diaspora of over 160,000 Ugandans in the UAE, trade and remittances continue to deepen bilateral ties. Annual remittances have surged from $50 million to $350 million, reinforcing the UAE’s importance as both a trade and investment partner for Uganda.
