The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) has reaffirmed its commitment to drive trade and investment between Dubai and Africa with the official opening of its newest African office in Maputo, Mozambique.

The office, Dubai Chamber’s third in Africa following openings in Ethiopia and Ghana, will not only help boost bilateral trade between Dubai and Mozambique, which last year stood at $195million (non Oil trade), but is also being positioned as a strategic hub for other African markets.

“Our newest African office will build on the strong business opportunities in Africa by contributing and strengthening economic and bilateral ties, whilst boosting investor confidence in Mozambique’s and the wider region’s lucrative investment sectors. It will play a central role in supporting the expansion of Dubai businesses into Mozambique and the wider region, as well as fostering partnerships across the Middle East and South East Asia through Dubai”, said Chairman Dubai Chamber H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair.

The opening of the Chamber’s third office came during the Africa Global Business Forum Roadshow that visited South Africa and Mozambique and is looking to visit a number of key African cities this year, including Addis Ababa, Accra, Nairobi and Lagos.

Dubai Chamber’s commitment towards expansion in Africa has been growing since 2013 with the launch of the Africa Global Business Forum (AGBF), the biggest platform for mutual investment between the Africa and the world through Dubai – the 4th edition of the forum will take place next year.

“The Africa Global Business Forum is testament to Dubai’s recognition of the importance of future business in Africa. As we take our roadshow across the continent, we call on businesses to take advantage of this platform of opportunity by participating in the forum,” added H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair.

An indicator of Africa’s attractiveness is the continent’s record of successful global trade. In 2015, Dubai’s non-oil trade with Africa reached $29.7 billion growing from $22.8 billion in 2011.

“Africa is the future. With rapidly developing economies, a strong and reliable labour force, and bountiful resources, this continent is full of potential and opportunities. Dubai Chamber has been increasingly focused on Africa, particularly the Sub-Saharan region, in the past few years,” concluded H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair.

Dubai Chamber was one of the first Chamber’s in the world to recognise the potential of the African continent through exploration of investment opportunities in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region, and now has over 12,000 registered African companies.

This leading role is a significant step in the right direction towards establishing joint ventures between Africa and the world, through Dubai.

Photo Caption:
L-R H E Asim Mirza Al Rahmah, UAE Ambassador to Mozambique H E Majid Saif Al Ghurair.