By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
KAMPALA
Uganda and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to deepen trade and investment ties as the two countries prepare for the fifth edition of the UAE-Uganda Business Forum.
The forum will be held from October 26 to 29, 2026, across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah in the UAE.
Uganda’s Ambassador to the UAE, Zaake Kibedi, announced the forum on Tuesday at the Uganda Media Centre, saying it will bring together government officials, business leaders, investors, financial institutions and chambers of commerce from both countries.
“This year’s edition will bring together senior government officials, business leaders, investors, financial institutions, chambers of commerce and other key stakeholders from both countries,” Kibedi said.
The forum will focus on agriculture and agro-processing, trade and exports, investment, mining and minerals, tourism, infrastructure, energy, logistics and air cargo, manufacturing, financial services and technology.
Kibedi said Uganda seeks to move beyond dialogue and secure concrete business transactions, investment commitments, partnerships and market-access opportunities.
According to the ambassador, trade between Uganda and the UAE rose to $4.7b (about Shs17.3 trillion) in 2025, up from $2.7b (about Shs9.9 trillion) in 2024 and $600m (about Shs2.2 trillion) in 2018.
He added that UAE foreign direct investment in Uganda increased from $300m in 2018 to $3.5b in 2025.
Kibedi also said more than 150,000 Ugandans were living in the UAE in 2025, compared with about 50,000 in 2018.
He urged Ugandan businesses, exporters and investors to participate in the forum and exploit opportunities in the UAE and wider Gulf markets.
