Dubai: Invest Africa, the prominent platform for fostering trade and investment across Africa, has announced a partnership with the Government of the United Arab Emirates for its flagship Africa Debate conference, scheduled for 30 September 2025 in Dubai. The event, held in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade, aims to gather over 500 senior figures from government, finance, and industry under the theme "Shared Markets. Shared Future." This forum will offer a platform to enhance UAE-Africa economic cooperation as Africa experiences shifts towards industrialisation, digitalisation, and green transition.
According to African Press Organization, the UAE has emerged as Africa's largest investor, committing over $110 billion between 2019 and 2023, including $72 billion in renewable energy. The Africa Debate will highlight notable transactions that represent this evolving partnership, such as ADNOC/XRG's involvement in Mozambique's Rovuma Basin, IHC/IRH's $1.1 billion acquisition of Zambia's Mopani Copper Mines, and the $1 billion geothermal-powered data center in Kenya by G42 and Microsoft.
The conference will include several high-level sessions designed to address key topics, such as the UAE's role in Africa's industrial future, unlocking Africa's potential as a green hydrogen leader, co-developing next-generation infrastructure, agribusiness opportunities in a changing climate, and the dynamics of capital flows involving sovereign wealth, blended finance, and regional co-investment. The event is strategically timed just before the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings and COP30, contributing to a broader global discussion on investment in the Global South and its potential to be both catalytic and commercially viable.
