The Fourth Uganda-UAE Business Forum will take place this week from today October 27th to 29th, 2025, in Kampala and this signature event will bring together 500+ business leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from both nations.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a powerhouse investor in Africa, committing over $110 billion to the continent over the past few years, with a focus on East Africa for resources, food security and infrastructure.
Uganda, with its projected 6-6.5% GDP growth in FY2025/26 driven by oil and gas, minerals and agricultural products stands out as an ideal partner. Bilateral trade hit $2.85 billion by September 2025, and UAE foreign direct investment (FDI) surged to $3.5 billion in 2024—a tenfold increase since 2018—primarily in renewables, oil/gas, and agro-industry and it is the UAE investors who are slated to build a positively consequential oil refinery in Uganda.
This momentum, without a doubt positions Uganda to capture more UAE capital, especially in high-synergy sectors like agriculture, oil and gas, energy, minerals and logistics.
In fact, UAE sovereign wealth funds; ADIA and Mubadala plus family offices drove US 64.3 billion dollars in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Africa Foreign Direct Investment from 2012-2025 and in March 2025 Uganda signed five additional investment deals in aviation, logistics and digital systems.
The United Arab Emirates diversification agenda aligns perfectly with Uganda’s strengths: its vast arable land for agribusiness (to support UAE food imports), untapped minerals and oil reserves, and Uganda’s strategic East African gateway status.
Uganda and United Arab Emirates investors will be focused on synergistic sectors and the top UAE interest is Agribusiness and this is because Uganda’s 80% arable land supports United Arab Emirates food security goals because indeed UAE imports 80% of its food.
Therefore, joint ventures with Ugandan investors in processing coffee, beef, maize, and horticulture for export to Dubai should be expected. UAE firms like Al Dahra already eye African agribusiness for $110 billion in continent-wide commitments. The other hot sector is Energy (Renewables and Oil/Gas).
Uganda will definitely showcase its 1,500 MW hydropower potential and upcoming $4.5 billion oil pipeline with an eye to tap into UAE’s US 72 billion dollar investment into African renewables through majorly Masdar company which is United Arab Emirates global clean energy pioneer.
The United Arab Emirates investments in Africa emphasize “long-game” plays especially in mining and logistics, where Uganda’s growth outpaces regional peers and therefore, infrastructure and logistics is going to be central.
Here, Ugandan investors have an opportunity to partner with United Arab Emirates investors to build affordable housing and cargo hubs, leveraging Uganda’s EAC-COMESA access to 600 million consumers while tapping into Uganda’s tailored incentives, tax holidays and 10 to 15% annual returns in logistics, infrastructure and other sectors like agriculture, tourism and energy.
Ugandan and United Arab Emirates investors will also have eyes on what both countries import and this is vital to lubricate import substitution investments.
Uganda’s total merchandise imports reached approximately US 13.83 billion dollars in 2024, up from US 9.75 billion dollars in 2022, driven by rising demand for energy, food, and industrial inputs amid 6%+ GDP growth.
Agricultural and food imports alone hit US 604.8 million dollars in 2024, accounting for about 4-5% of total imports and Uganda imports over 60% of its edible oils and key grains despite 80% arable land and these gaps offer prime import substitution potential, where local production can reduce the US 2-3 billion dollar annual trade deficit.
United Arab Emirates investors are ideally positioned here, given their US 110 billion dollar+ commitments to African agribusiness for food security and expertise in processing technology.
Recent United Arab Emirates – Uganda deals, like the US 1.4 billion dollsr agro-investment push in maize and soybeans, underscore synergies.
It is therefore, very plausible the potential new investors in the edible oil production and processing, grains production and processing will be at hand at the Business Forum.
Import substitution could save US 500 million dollar+ annually, create 50,000 plus jobs, and boost non-oil exports to 15% by 2027 for Uganda as Uganda’s NDP IV prioritizes agro-industrialization, with at least US 2 billion dollar Foreign Direct Investment target.
Uganda’s top eleven annual imports with aggregated value estimates from trade data are refined petroleum (Fuels, diesel and gasoline) now at US 3 billion dollar Mechanical appliances, engines and industrial equipment now at US 1.5 billion dollar, Cars, trucks and parts at US 900 million dollar, Wiring, Transformers and electronics now at US 900 million dollar, Pharmaceutical products at US 700 million dollar, Iron and steel products now at US 600 million dollar, Polymers and packaging materials at US 500 million dollar, Fertilizers and industrial chemicals at US 400 million dollar, Cereals (Wheat, rice and maize) now at US 300 million dollars, Edible Oils now at US 250 million dollars while Printing paper and cardboard at US 250 million dollar.
United Arab Emirates top imports all estimated in billions of dollars include pearls, precious stones, coins and metals (US114 billion dollars); Electrical machinery and equipment (US 63 billion dollars), Machinery, nuclear reactors and boilers (US 40 billion dollars), Minerals, oils and distillation products (US 21 billion dollars) and Medicines, vaccines and medical chemicals (US 5 billion dollars).
There is already trust between the two Nation States and the above dollar millions and billions present opportunities for Ugandan and United Arab Emirates investors.
This is even before we look at the broader African and Gulf markets and now businesses and officials from both sides will need to drill through these numbers, itemize opportunities and begin execution.
Ugandan investors and officialdom must know that United Arab Emirates investors prioritize ease of repatriation (after tax) and low bureaucracy and the Ugandan investors and officialdom will also need to highlight double taxation avoidance between Uganda and UAE under the 2023 bilateral agreement. One other ways to catalyze this engagement is to perhaps establish a UAE-Uganda Investment Council for quarterly reviews, ensuring quick dispute resolution and expansion support.
It’s therefore a great week for business! It’s a great week for win-win cooperation between Uganda and the United Arab Emirates!
Morrison Rwakakamba
Coffee Farmer,
Rukungiri District.
