The UAE and Gabon continue to strengthen their trade and investment relations

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Libreville, 12 December / WAM / His Excellency Brice Cloutier Olegé Nguema, President of the Republic of Gabon, received His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, who made an official visit to the capital, Libreville, at the head of an Emirati delegation that includes a group of senior officials, business leaders and representatives of the private sector.

During the meeting, Al-Zeyoudi conveyed the greetings of the wise leadership of the UAE to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Gabon and its wishes for the Gabon leadership, government and people of further prosperity, progress and prosperity.

During the meeting, which took place in the presence of His Excellency Salem Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Gabon, the two sides discussed opportunities to increase economic cooperation between the two friendly countries in order to achieve their national goals and enhance sustainable economic growth.

His Excellency Al-Zeyoudi also met with a number of ministers and senior officials, including His Excellency Jill Nyimbi, Minister of Mining and Energy; Her Excellency Louise Mvono, Minister of Petroleum and Planning; His Excellency Arthur Limami, Director of the Presidential Cabinet, discussed ways to advance cooperation in key sectors, including renewable energy, advanced technology and precious metals.

Al-Zeyoudi said: “This visit embodies the UAE’s firm commitment to advancing its development partnership with Gabon by exploring cooperation opportunities that achieve the interests of the two friendly countries and support sustainable economic growth.”

He added, “There are promising prospects for improving trade and investment relations with Gabon, especially in sectors of common interest such as renewable energy, advanced technology, mining, and others, by providing more opportunities for the private sector.”

During the discussions, the two sides focused on improving economic cooperation and exploring opportunities to increase trade and investment flows. The talks also aimed to identify new horizons for increased cooperation within the private sector, in line with the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements program that leverages trade and investment to drive business growth.

After reaching 5 comprehensive economic partnership agreements between the UAE and African countries, and one of them entering into force, the UAE is actively working to expand the free trade program across the continent. As the discussions concluded, the UAE and Gabon expressed their enthusiasm for potential agreements and initiatives that will advance bilateral trade and investment.

The value of the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Gabon reached $238.1 million during the first nine months of 2025, reflecting a significant increase of 36.9% compared to the same period in 2023. This positive trend confirms the enormous potential to deepen economic interaction and highlights the ongoing efforts to strengthen trade ties between the two countries.

The UAE continues its commitment to strengthening its relations with Africa. In 2024, the volume of non-oil trade of the UAE with African countries reached $112 billion, with a growth rate of 34% compared to 2023. The UAE is also the largest source of new foreign direct investment in the continent, as it invested more than $110 billion across the continent between 2019 and 2024. Through ongoing partnerships and collaborative efforts, the UAE seeks to support sustainable development initiatives that will accelerate mutually beneficial economic growth.