536 billion dirhams, the volume of trade between Dubai and Africa in 10 years

Over the past decade, Dubai has succeeded in consolidating its position as one of the most important economic partners of the African continent, based on a long-term strategic vision that strengthened trade and investment ties with various countries of the continent, and established the emirate’s role as a global gateway linking Africa to international markets.

The economic indicators of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce reveal the scale of the transformation witnessed in relations between Dubai and Africa, as the value of non-oil trade between the two sides increased by 325% during the period from 2016 to 2025 (about 10 years), reaching 146 billion US dollars (536 billion dirhams) in 2025, which reflects the rapid growth in the volume of trade exchange and the expansion of economic partnerships between the two sides.

Dubai’s investments in the African continent amounted to about $77 billion during the same period, and contributed to creating more than 70,000 job opportunities, which confirms the emirate’s growing role as a major driver of investment and economic development in Africa.
These results come within the framework of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033, as Africa occupies a pivotal position within the strategic economic corridors that Dubai focuses on to enhance its global presence and diversify its trade and investment partnerships.

In this context, Executive Vice President of International Relations at Dubai Chambers, Salem Al Shamsi, stressed that “the African continent represents one of the most important axes of future growth for Dubai,” noting that the Chambers are continuously working to enhance communication between the business communities on both sides and open new horizons for cooperation and investment.

He explained that Dubai Chambers has recently strengthened its trade missions to promising African markets, organizing visits to Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa, with the participation of more than 20 companies from Dubai, with the aim of exploring investment and commercial opportunities and building new partnerships that support business growth on both sides.

The continuous increase in the number of African companies operating from Dubai reflects the success of these efforts, as the number of African companies that are members of Dubai Chambers exceeded 30,000 companies, with an annual growth of 14.3%, which confirms the emirate’s attractiveness as a global center for business, trade and logistics services.

Today, Africa accounts for 17.2% of Dubai’s total trade with the world in 2025, which highlights the growing importance of the continent in the emirate’s economic strategy, and reflects the size of the opportunities that African markets provide to Emirati and international companies.

To enhance this trend, Dubai International Chamber continues to expand its network of external offices within the “Dubai World” initiative, which currently includes 39 representative offices around the world, with a plan to reach 50 offices.

The African continent includes seven representative offices covering the East, West, South and Central regions, and they play a pivotal role in supporting companies and facilitating trade and investment flows between Dubai and African markets.
Dubai views Africa as a long-term strategic partner, not only from a trade and investment perspective, but also by supporting economic development, creating job opportunities, and enhancing cooperation in various vital sectors.
In return, the emirate provides African companies with a global platform to launch into regional and international markets, benefiting from the advanced investment environment and advanced infrastructure that Dubai enjoys.

With the continued record growth in trade and investment indicators, relations between Dubai and Africa are moving towards a new phase of economic integration, supported by a common vision based on building sustainable partnerships and achieving mutual growth, thus enhancing Dubai’s position as a global business center and a major crossing point for investment and trade opportunities on the African continent.