Uganda is stepping up its economic diplomacy in the United Arab Emirates with a renewed push to attract investment, expand exports and secure new international markets as the country prepares for the 5th Edition of the UAE–Uganda Business Forum.
The four-day forum, scheduled for October 26–29, 2026, will bring together senior government officials, investors, business leaders, financial institutions, chambers of commerce, exporters and other private-sector players from Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.
The announcement was made by Ambassador Zaake W. Kibedi, Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in the United Arab Emirates, who said the forum will provide a strategic platform for Uganda to showcase its economic potential and connect local enterprises with investors, buyers and strategic partners in the UAE.
Unlike previous engagements that have largely focused on strengthening diplomatic and business relations, Ambassador Kibedi said this year’s forum will place greater emphasis on turning discussions into measurable economic outcomes.
The forum will be hosted across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, exposing Ugandan businesses to some of the UAE’s major commercial centres and creating opportunities for direct interaction with potential investors and buyers.
Trade rises to $4.7 billion
The forum comes at a time when economic relations between Uganda and the UAE are expanding rapidly.
According to figures released by Ambassador Kibedi, trade between the two countries increased to US$4.7 billion in 2025, up from US$2.7 billion in 2024 and about US$600 million in 2018.
The figures point to the UAE’s growing importance as a major destination and trading partner for Ugandan goods.
The UAE has increasingly become a gateway through which Ugandan products can access the wider Gulf market, creating opportunities for exporters in agriculture, agro-processing, minerals, manufacturing and other sectors.
Ambassador Kibedi said the embassy intends to use the business forum to further consolidate this growth by bringing Ugandan producers and exporters closer to UAE buyers and investors.
UAE investment in Uganda hits $3.5 billion
Investment is another major area of growth in the bilateral relationship.
UAE foreign direct investment in Uganda has reportedly increased from approximately US$300 million in 2018 to US$3.5 billion in 2025.
The growth reflects the increasing interest of UAE investors in Uganda’s agriculture, infrastructure, energy, logistics, mining, tourism, manufacturing and other sectors.
Ambassador Kibedi said Uganda’s objective is to use the forum to attract even more investment while ensuring that the country presents itself as a competitive and reliable destination for international capital.
The forum will therefore provide an opportunity for Ugandan authorities and businesses to present investment-ready projects and explain the opportunities available to potential UAE partners.
From meetings to actual business
A key message from Ambassador Kibedi is that the upcoming forum should not simply become another platform where businesspeople exchange contacts and attend meetings without concrete outcomes.
He said the real measure of success should be what happens after the meetings.
“The success of this Forum will ultimately be measured not only by the number of meetings held, but by the contracts signed, investments secured, exports generated, partnerships established and jobs created as a result of the engagements,” Ambassador Kibedi said.
The emphasis on tangible outcomes is expected to place Ugandan businesses at the centre of the forum, particularly companies capable of supplying products to the UAE market or seeking investment to expand their operations.
The organisers want the forum to facilitate direct business-to-business engagements, investment negotiations, export arrangements and long-term commercial partnerships.
Agriculture, minerals and energy take centre stage
Several sectors have been identified as key areas of focus during the forum.
These include agriculture and agro-processing, trade and exports, investment, mining and minerals, tourism, infrastructure, energy, logistics and air cargo, manufacturing, financial services and technology.
Agriculture and agro-processing are expected to be particularly important because Uganda has significant potential to increase the value and volume of products exported to international markets.
Instead of exporting largely raw commodities, Uganda is seeking to promote value addition and agro-processing, allowing local businesses to capture a larger share of the value generated along the supply chain.
The mining and minerals sector is another area expected to attract investor attention, as Uganda seeks to increase investment and value addition in its mineral resources.
Energy, infrastructure and logistics will also feature prominently, particularly given the UAE’s experience and financial capacity in large-scale infrastructure and logistics projects.
Uganda eyes the wider Gulf market
Ambassador Kibedi said Uganda’s interest in the UAE extends beyond the country’s domestic market.
The UAE’s position as a major international commercial, aviation and logistics hub provides Ugandan businesses with an opportunity to access markets across the wider Gulf and beyond.
The forum will therefore seek to connect Ugandan producers and exporters with UAE-based buyers and strategic partners who can help them enter new markets.
For Ugandan businesses, this could provide opportunities to expand beyond traditional export destinations and establish long-term relationships with companies operating across the Gulf region.
Private sector urged to take the lead
Ambassador Kibedi has particularly called for increased participation by the Ugandan private sector.
He said government and diplomatic missions can create platforms and facilitate introductions, but the private sector must ultimately take advantage of those opportunities and convert them into commercial transactions.
Ugandan businesses, exporters, investors, financial institutions, government agencies and other stakeholders have consequently been encouraged to participate actively in the October forum.
The embassy will also continue providing market intelligence, identifying business opportunities, facilitating matchmaking between Ugandan and UAE companies and supporting enterprises seeking access to international markets.
UAE becomes home to more Ugandans
The growing economic relationship is also reflected in the increasing number of Ugandans living and working in the UAE.
According to the figures presented by Ambassador Kibedi, more than 150,000 Ugandans were in the UAE in 2025, compared with approximately 50,000 in 2018.
This expanding Ugandan community has created an important people-to-people connection between the two countries, alongside the growing commercial relationship.
The increasing number of Ugandans in the UAE also presents opportunities for businesses, particularly in areas such as trade, services, remittances and entrepreneurship.
Economic diplomacy gets renewed push
The business forum is part of Uganda’s broader efforts to strengthen economic and commercial diplomacy.
The Embassy of Uganda in the UAE continues to identify investment and export opportunities, conduct market intelligence, facilitate business matchmaking and support Ugandan enterprises seeking entry into international markets.
Ambassador Kibedi said the mission is committed to ensuring that Uganda’s diplomatic presence translates into tangible economic opportunities for the country.
This includes promoting Uganda’s investment potential, identifying buyers for Ugandan products and linking businesses with potential investors and strategic partners.
A growing strategic relationship
Uganda and the UAE have developed increasingly strong economic ties over the past several years, with trade, investment, tourism, infrastructure, logistics, agriculture and energy emerging as important areas of cooperation.
The growth from US$600 million in bilateral trade in 2018 to US$4.7 billion in 2025, together with the rise in UAE foreign direct investment in Uganda to US$3.5 billion, demonstrates the scale of the expanding relationship.
For Uganda, the challenge now is to ensure that this growth translates into more domestic production, higher-value exports, increased investment and employment opportunities for Ugandans.
The 5th UAE–Uganda Business Forum is expected to provide one of the platforms through which that ambition can be pursued.
Ambassador Kibedi has also called upon the media to support the initiative by creating awareness about the forum and highlighting the investment, trade and export opportunities available in Uganda.
From cooperation to shared prosperity
As Uganda seeks to expand its presence in international markets, the UAE has emerged as an increasingly important economic partner and gateway to the Gulf.
The October forum will therefore be more than a gathering of government officials and business executives. It is expected to serve as a marketplace for ideas, capital, products and partnerships.
For Ugandan exporters, it could open doors to new buyers. For investors, it could provide access to new projects. For government, it could strengthen economic diplomacy. And for the wider economy, successful deals could translate into increased production, exports, investment and employment.
Ambassador Kibedi’s message is that the growing Uganda-UAE relationship must now deliver results that can be measured in contracts signed, investments secured, exports generated, partnerships established and jobs created.
With bilateral trade already standing at US$4.7 billion, UAE investment in Uganda reaching US$3.5 billion, and a Ugandan community of more than 150,000 people living in the UAE, the 5th UAE–Uganda Business Forum could mark another significant step in transforming the two countries’ growing relationship into deeper economic cooperation and shared prosperity.
