Media Centre

Sharjah eyes Ethiopia investment opportunities amid growing UAE-Africa trade

SHARJAH: Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by Sharjah Export Development Centre, concluded its trade mission to Ethiopia after holding a bilateral business forum, conducting B2B meetings and engaging with Ethiopian companies to explore potential partnerships across key sectors.

Held under the theme “Fostering New Partnerships and Driving the Future Together”, the mission formed part of SCCI’s efforts to enhance trade and investment ties between Sharjah and Ethiopia and unlock new opportunities for Sharjah-based businesses to expand into African markets.

During the mission, Sharjah Chamber engaged with several Ethiopian ministers and senior government officials, including Hassan Mohammed, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Industry, and Dr. Sofia Kassa, State Minister for Agricultural Investment and Input Supply Development Sector at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Further meetings were held with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, the Ministry of Agriculture, and Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (Addis Chamber) to explore investment opportunities, advance institutional collaboration, and gain insights into economic trends and emerging prospects across sectors of shared interest.

The meetings focused on strengthening cooperation between the Sharjah and Ethiopian business communities and identifying investment prospects across manufacturing, food processing, food security, packaging, building materials and logistics. Discussions also addressed ways to facilitate business-to-business engagement and advance bilateral trade and investment ties.

The mission also included field visits for participating member companies to selected industrial facilities and economic institutions in Ethiopia, including Addis Industry Village affiliated with the Ethiopian Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC).

During the visits, the delegation gained insights into the production and manufacturing operations of several Ethiopian companies and the capabilities of the local manufacturing ecosystem. The visits gave the delegation first-hand insights into Ethiopia’s industrial landscape, infrastructure, and investor support services, while helping identify market requirements and potential opportunities for Emirati businesses.

Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, said that strengthening international economic partnerships and broadening cooperation with trading partners worldwide are central to SCCI’s strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Sharjah’s private sector and enable businesses to capitalise on promising opportunities for growth and international expansion.

He noted that Africa offers diverse economic opportunities and investment potential to develop trade relations and enhance cooperation across production, industry and food sectors. He added that these efforts would serve shared interests and drive further growth in bilateral trade and investment.

The Sharjah–Ethiopia Business Forum served as a major milestone in the trade mission, bringing together around 150 Emirati and Ethiopian companies, as well as government entities and representatives of economic institutions and business communities from both countries.

A key outcome was the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SCCI and the Addis Chamber to solidify institutional cooperation, strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties, and facilitate the development of joint ventures.

The forum also provided a platform for B2B meetings between Sharjah-based companies and Ethiopian businesses and hosted a panel discussion on strengthening economic and trade cooperation and identifying investment opportunities in both countries.

Representatives of several participating companies commended the Sharjah Chamber for organising the mission and creating new opportunities for Emirati businesses to explore investment prospects and build trade partnerships in international markets.

Ali Salem Almheiri, Director of Government Relations and Foreign Investments at BEEAH Group, underscored the value of the mission in identifying potential areas of collaboration in waste management and environmental treatment. He explained that site visits and meetings with relevant Ethiopian stakeholders offered a clearer understanding of market requirements and opportunities to leverage the group’s expertise and technologies in developing advanced environmental solutions, paving the way for expanded cooperation in sustainability and environmental services.

Trade relations between the UAE and Ethiopia continue to grow, with bilateral trade totalling USD 5.6 billion between 2021 and 2025. Of this total, USD 4.4 billion represented Ethiopian imports from the UAE, while USD 1.2 billion comprised Ethiopian exports to the UAE. Ethiopia offers a range of investment and business opportunities for Emirati companies, particularly in agriculture, food processing, manufacturing and building materials. comes amid growing