The Ethio-Dubai Trade and Investment Forum was held today at the Sheraton Addis Hotel in Addis Ababa. The platform aimed to further strengthen trade and economic ties between the two sides, drawing participation from numerous Dubai-based companies specializing in renewable energy, manufacturing, information technology (IT), healthcare, food processing, and automotive assembly. These foreign enterprises showcased their products and services while establishing business networks and exchanging industry experiences with local entrepreneurs.
This high-level business platform was jointly organized by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (Addis Chamber), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the embassies of both nations, and the Dubai Chamber. Approximately 400 local companies and representatives who are members of the Addis Chamber attended the forum, engaging in extensive discussions on opportunities to create direct market linkages with their Dubai counterparts.
Engineer Abebe Gurmesa, Vice President of the Addis Chamber, stated at the event that trade exchange between Ethiopia and Dubai has been growing consistently on an annual basis. He affirmed that the Addis Chamber will work in close coordination and partnership with the Dubai Chamber to enable Dubai investors to actively engage in the various investment alternatives available in Ethiopia. This commitment is expected to elevate the relationship between the business communities of both nations to a higher level.
To establish a more formal and structural foundation for this relationship, the two chambers of commerce previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2024 to jointly expand trade and investment. This agreement serves as the primary framework to regulate and facilitate bilateral trade delegation visits, investment forums, and economic cooperation between the two sides in an organized manner.
Recent economic data indicates that the bilateral trade volume between Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates has grown rapidly, surpassing 6 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. This figure demonstrates that the United Arab Emirates (including Dubai) has become a major trade and investment partner for Ethiopia, and today’s forum was specifically organized to further enhance and balance this commercial relationship.
The Addis Chamber, which has served the Ethiopian business community reliably for the past 79 years, noted that such international platforms play a vital role in creating new foreign market opportunities and technology transfers for local traders. Chamber leadership expressed confidence that this specific business forum will solidify the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries on a much firmer foundation.