Kigali: On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, participated in the CEO Forum Africa in Kigali, Rwanda. He led a UAE delegation consisting of government officials and representatives from the nation's business community.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Africa CEO Forum is an annual event that gathers Africa's top business leaders, investors, and policymakers. This edition saw the participation of over 2,800 attendees from around the globe to discuss economic development in Africa. During his address, Al Zeyoudi highlighted the UAE's commitment to Africa's growth, emphasizing the importance of enhancing logistics, infrastructure, and the manufacturing sector to ensure Africa's integration into the global economy. He stressed the need for governments to collaborate in fostering private-sector partnerships that drive innovation and talent development.
During his stay in Rwanda, Al Zeyoudi engaged in several bilateral discussions, including meetings with Rwanda's Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi; Botswana's Vice President and Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe; and Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole. He also took part in a strategic roundtable with African business leaders to outline the continent's development goals, focusing on rebalancing its foreign trade and enhancing its role in global supply chains. A special event organized by DP World addressed the UAE's support for port expansion, renewable energy, and free-zone development in Africa.
The UAE has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening ties with Africa by sharing non-oil trade exceeding US$160.4 billion in 2025, marking a 43.6% increase from 2024 and nearly doubling from 2023. The UAE is Africa's largest new foreign direct investment source, with over US$110 billion invested since 2019. Recent Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with Mauritius, Angola, Kenya, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, and Nigeria showcase the UAE's strategy to align economically with African nations, enabling UAE businesses to penetrate high-growth markets and make strategic investments that support Africa's development.