EICN MENA: Opportunities in Africa’s big 5 economies

Eleven of the fastest growing economies in the world in 2024 will be in SSA, and the continent is attracting plenty of interest from multinational corporates as well as regional governments.

UAE interest in East Africa, in particular, has grown as the country tries to develop commercial links and secure access across the strategic Bab al‑Mandab strait in the Red Sea. The UAE has particular interests in port development, food security and mineral resources in East Africa, where it recently concluded a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with Kenya in February 2024 and where DP World recently signed an agreement to operate part of Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port.

Imports from East Africa into the UAE more than doubled from 2019 to 2022, and non-oil exports and re-exports have also grown strongly. The UAE will continue to expand trade and investment links in SSA, although it will face competition for influence from other foreign powers, including China and Saudi Arabia.

So join us on 30 May, in the company of the EICN’s SSA Director Sam Rolland, and a panel of regional business leaders with responsibility for Africa, as we go hunting for the continent’s hotspots.