Dubai Chambers has successfully participated in the recently
concluded
Africa
CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, which attracted more than 2,500 attendees including African presidents, government officials, and CEOs of major
international and African companies. The delegation was led by His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai
Chambers, who took part in an interactive panel discussion. Dubai Chambers also organised an event on the sidelines of the forum to showcase the emirate’s competitive advantages. The session highlighted the services available to African companies seeking to expand into
global markets through Dubai, as well as the support provided to African businesses to help strengthen their trade and
investment ties with companies in Dubai. The Dubai Chambers delegation held a number of bilateral meetings with
African government delegations, multinational companies, and major African and international institutions, which exploredstrategies to enhance bilateral cooperation and achieve mutual goals. During the panel discussion, which was titled ’Decisive Decade for Intra-African Trade: Can the AfCFTA Deliver?’ the President and CEO of Dubai Chambersemphasised the important
role Dubai plays in strengthening trade ties between Africa and the world. His Excellency highlighted the contribution of the representative offices operated by Dubai International Chamber, one of the
three chambers under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, in consolidating
partnerships between the private sector in Dubai and the African
business community. Dubai International Chamber currently operates seven representative offices across Africa, which is the chamber’s highest number
of international offices in any region globally. This reflects growing interest in African markets and the continent’s position as a vital strategic trade and investment partner for Dubai’s private sector. African markets accounted for 13.3% of Dubai’s total non-oil trade with the world in
2023, up from 8.9% in 2014. Dubai’s non-oil trade with Africa is expected to grow further in the coming years driven by several key factors, most notably the African
Continental Free Trade Agreement. His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, opened the 11th edition of the
forum, which was organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group in collaboration with the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Recognised as oneof the largest business forums dedicated to Africa, the event addressed a range of topics including investment, climate, information technology, economic
integration, infrastructure, trade, and artificial intelligence.
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