Uganda will host the fourth Uganda–United Arab Emirates (UAE) Business Forum from October 27 to 29, 2025, at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala. The high-level event aims to deepen economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The forum is being organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with the Uganda Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai. It will bring together senior government officials, business executives, and investors from both Uganda and the UAE to explore new trade and investment opportunities.
Uganda’s Prime Minister is expected to deliver the keynote address, while Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi will present Uganda’s economic outlook and highlight recent fiscal reforms designed to attract foreign investors. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo, will close the event.
According to Ambassador Zaake Wanume Kibedi, Uganda’s envoy to the UAE, hosting the event in Kampala shows the growing strength of relations between the two countries.
“This forum moves us from talk to tangible partnerships. It’s an opportunity for Ugandan businesses and UAE investors to create lasting ventures that benefit both nations,” he said.
The UAE has become Uganda’s largest export destination, accounting for about 21 percent of Uganda’s total exports. In 2023, Uganda’s exports to the UAE were valued at USD 1.37 billion, mainly consisting of gold, coffee, and agricultural produce. Imports from the UAE stood at USD 1.43 billion, led by petroleum products, machinery, plastics, and steel.
Beyond trade, the partnership has led to several major investments. In early 2025, Uganda signed a USD 4 billion oil refinery deal with Alpha MBM Investments LLC of Dubai, giving the company a 60 percent stake in the project.
Additionally, AMEA Power, another UAE-based firm, is building a 24-megawatt solar power station in Ituka, northern Uganda, to boost clean energy production and rural electrification.
The three-day forum will include policy dialogues, business-to-business meetings, and field visits in sectors such as agriculture, agro-industrialisation, tourism, renewable energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, and real estate.
Delegations from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah Chambers of Commerce will attend, alongside leading Ugandan entrepreneurs and policymakers.
According to Margaret Kafeero, Head of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event is part of Uganda’s effort to position itself as a gateway for Gulf investment into the Great Lakes region, in line with Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan III.
“This platform connects ideas and action — turning discussions into real projects that transform communities,” she said.
Government officials expect the forum to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new business commitments, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and agribusiness. It is also seen as an opportunity to promote Uganda as a stable, reliable, and attractive investment destination in Africa.
