UAE Pursues Investment Opportunities in Uganda Across Multiple Sectors

UAE, 17 December, 2024 : The UAE is actively pursuing new business opportunities in Uganda, with at least 20 Dubai-based companies exploring investments in manufacturing, real estate, healthcare, technology, oil and gas, textiles, and agriculture. This comes despite concerns about Uganda’s logistics value chain competitiveness.

While Uganda exports significant amounts of cheap labor to the UAE and other Gulf states, reports of mistreatment and visa violations among Ugandan migrant workers in Dubai have raised concerns about employment conditions.

The UAE’s investment strategy aims to boost foreign direct investment (FDI), which saw inflows of $10.7 billion in 2023 and $5.9 billion in the first half of 2024, according to Dubai Chambers data. Key imports from the UAE to Uganda include industrial machinery, motor vehicles, and electronics, while Uganda exports gold, coffee, and fresh fruits to the UAE.

Muhammad Rashed Lootah, president of Dubai Chambers, highlighted the growing interest in Uganda, despite challenges with limited railway and water transport infrastructure. However, Uganda’s cargo transport capacity is improving, largely due to the oil and gas industry’s logistics needs.