Africa is rapidly emerging as a vital market for the&nbsp;United&nbsp;Arab&nbsp;Emirates (UAE), with the UAE&nbsp;the&nbsp;largest&nbsp;investor on The Continent Among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.



The significant opportunities along the UAE-Africa trade and investment corridor were explored at the inaugural edition of The Africa Debate–UAE by Invest Africa, at the Address Sky View hotel in Dubai on October 31, where over 400 industry experts, policy leaders, and business pioneers gathered to discuss partnerships across logistics and supply chain optimization, to infrastructure development and energy transition.



The day included prominent speakers from both regions, such as UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri; UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan; Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube; and South Africa’s Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson.



In an interview with FORBES AFRICA on the sidelines of the summit, Macpherson reflected on his bilateral meetings with the UAE’s ministers of economy and foreign affairs. “They are young chaps like myself committed to making their countries better. And we’re already talking on WhatsApp. South Africa and the UAE share a very important historical relationship,” he said.



With South Africa set to host Africa’s first-ever G20 summit in 2025, Macpherson added that the UAE has been invited as “special guests”.



“They are one of, I think, five countries we have invited… and to all our ministerial meetings. There’s a lot we can learn. And that’s the commitment the ministers have given me,” said Macpherson, whose planned itinerary in the UAE also included visits to infrastructure projects such as Dubai’s ports. “The UAE are really kings of infra- structure, they have understood how to rapidly scale up an economy through infrastructure-led growth, which is crucial.”



“Whilst Africa is not without its own challenges, many nations across the continent are on a positive economic trajectory: public debt is stabilizing, inflation is easing, and growth rates are rising. This economic landscape has drawn renewed investor interest, especially from the UAE and the wider GCC region. In the past year alone, Gulf-based firms have announced over 70 major projects in Africa, with an estimated value exceeding $50 billion,” said Karen Taylor, Executive Chair of Invest Africa.



Zimbabwe’s Ncube also spoke to FORBES AFRICA on the sidelines of the summit about his country’s ties with the UAE: “My presence here is very significant, basically, to share with investors all the wonderful opportunities that Zimbabwe offers, but also to share what’s already happening between the UAE and Zimbabwe in a variety of areas; Zimbabwe offers so many opportunities right across the board.”



Following a decade of success in London, Invest Africa, the pan-African business platform founded in 1956 to promote trade and investment across the continent, brought the flagship conference to Dubai for the first time. “The overwhelming interest we’ve received from investors, business leaders, and policymakers is a testament to the power and promise of UAE-Africa collaboration,” added Taylor.

Panelists explore infrastructure investment opportunities within the UAE-Africa corridor at The Africa Debate–UAE

Power, Promise And Partnerships: UAE-Africa Ties

The partnership and relationship between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will deepen further and the UAE has been invited to the G20 summit in Johannesburg next year, said South Africa’s Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure&nbsp;Dean William Macpherson, at the inaugural The Africa Debate – UAE forum by Invest Africa in the emirate of Dubai on Thursday.



In a brief chat with FORBES AFRICA on the sidelines of the summit, Macpherson also reflected on South Africa&#8217;s pathways to creating better infrastructure and some of the “innovative financing” being looked at, particularly the project preparation fund, “the first of its kind” in South Africa launched in mid-October for economic growth and job creation.



“The interest has been unbelievable for that, and in fact, I&#8217;ve had a number of equity funds that have approached me saying they want to get involved in bid window too so we can really scale up and leverage the funds the government is putting in now with the private sector, which is exactly the foundation of our new infrastructure plan. It&#8217;s about collaboration between the state and the private sector on how we can build infrastructure quicker, smarter and in a more transparent way,” Macpherson told FORBES AFRICA.



The 39-year-old minister said he had fruitful bilateral meetings with the UAE’s ministers of economy and foreign affairs.



“They are young chaps like myself committed to making their countries better. And we&#8217;re already talking on WhatsApp. South Africa and the UAE share a very important historical relationship.”



His last trip to Dubai was 20 years ago but the minister says he may be returning more regularly through 2025. “I can only see our relationship deepening and growing.”



South Africa is set to host Africa’s first-ever G20 summit in 2025, and the UAE has been invited as “special guests”.



“They are one of, I think, five countries we have invited… and to all our ministerial meetings. There&#8217;s a lot we can learn. And that&#8217;s the commitment the ministers have given me,” said Macpherson, whose planned itinerary in the UAE also included visits to infrastructure projects such as Dubai’s ports.



“The UAE are really kings of infrastructure, they have understood how to rapidly scale up an economy through infrastructure-led growth, which is crucial.”



To woo investors, South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) coalition government is also “seized with” creating safer communities and more jobs, which the different political parties all agree on, added the minister.



“We&#8217;ve seen a more robust approach to crime-fighting [in the last six months since coming to power], and we welcome that… I need that in order to protect our projects and give investors the confidence. People [here in the UAE] are more interested in opportunities. I think that they&#8217;ve drawn a line with the problematic years we&#8217;ve had in the country, and they see new young leaders coming in through government, and they are saying this is the kind of vision we&#8217;re looking to support…. And [South Africa has] a lot of good business cases to be made.



In his opening remarks at the summit, before a panel discussion on Closing Africa’s Infrastructure Gaps, Macpherson reiterated that he would like to turn South Africa into “a construction site”.



To FORBES AFRICA, he re-emphasized the importance of the private sector in this regard.



“…We only have a billion rand that has been set aside for project preparation. And intentionally, we&#8217;re saying to investors that we are going to prepare these projects, we&#8217;re going to fund them properly so they are bankable, it&#8217;s now in your hands to come and join us. You make the profits, you build it, as long as it&#8217;s done on time and on budget, everyone can make something out of it. So, we are purposely saying to the private sector, we need you.



“I was in Asia a couple of weeks ago, bringing in a new multilateral bank that&#8217;s never done business in South Africa. I&#8217;m taking a personal approach to this, as I said, if you have got the money, you have got my attention. I&#8217;m prepared to put in the hours and fly around the world to see people, as long as we get those projects going.”

South African Banks And Financial Offices in Johannesburg

‘If You’ve Got Money, You’ve Got My Attention’: South Africa’s Infrastructure Minister On Wooing Investors And Inviting The UAE To Africa’s First-Ever G20 Summit In 2025

FORBES AFRICA was at Expo 2020 Dubai to witness the tech-filled finale of the multi-billion-dollar, 182-day global event that also brought all of Africa.



The party was on for six months.



And on a balmy night, under a gold dome in a grand spectacle of sound and light that saw hundreds of performers and several thousand diverse and starry-eyed visitors, the curtain came down on the Expo 2020 Dubai that brought through its gates an estimated staggering 23 million visitors.



The closing ceremony of the world gala in the UAE emirate last night (March 31), had thousands of visitors streaming in well into the wee hours for the live shows, fireworks and pyrotechnics.



Tech reigned.



Even as Grammy award-winning singer and headline crowd-pleaser Norah Jones said it’s her first trip to Dubai and dazzled in a grey sequinned dress at the piano singing the soulful Come Away With Me, and as thousands thronged every inch of space on the walkways – dodging baby strollers and e-scooters – to hear global pop sensation Christina Aguilera, the true star of the show was the Al Wasl gold dome, the all-rounder of the mega event.



The intricate lattice dome’s eye-popping technical specs? At 67.5 meters tall and comprising 13.6 kilometers of steel, it weighs 2,544 tonnes – “as much as 25 blue whales”. And under it, a sea of humanity gazing at an immersive 360-degree projection system with giant fabric screens.



At the closing event, the baton was handed over to the Japanese city of Osaka, where the next expo will be held in 2025.



The UAE, which celebrated its 50th year during the expo and changed its weekend to Saturday and Sunday in keeping with the West, is home to multiple nationalities. The expo, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, is being seen as “the start of a new beginning”.



Africa was well-represented too. The colorful African stalls in the world souq areas were quite the magnet for crowds, with hand-woven African baskets and print sandals selling at Dhs100 ($27) a piece.



The African Union pavilion located within the Opportunity District at the expo site spoke to the Agenda 2063 aspirations of the continent and strengthening trade links between the Middle East and Africa.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It’s been a great experience,” says Coumba Dioukhane, a spokesperson at the Côte d&#8217;Ivoire pavilion, even as crowds queue up around us to get their expo passports stamped by the West African country.



“We were able to showcase the Ivory Coast from an economic, social and cultural point of view; this was an opportunity to show to the whole world where we are, and the investment opportunities we have.”



Similar sentiments at the Sierra Leone pavilion.



The salesman at the store inside points to the python skin for sale and a crocodile skin handbag selling for Dhs1,500 ($408). “But you know we also have gold and diamonds,” he says with a glint in his eye. “Our country was hidden but not anymore. The last six months here in Dubai have been incredible.”



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had also been at Expo 2020 Dubai, at his country’s pavilion three days before the finale, calling it “a seminal event… as we strive to recover and rebuild in the wake of the pandemic”.



Some enduring connections for Africa in this glistening city in the desert.

Closing Ceremony Held For Expo 2020 Dubai

World Fair Ends With Festivities, Pyrotechnics And High Tech

With Expo 2020 Dubai opening to a lavish and spectacularly starry night in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on September 30, the world fair with the theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future and a message on global cooperation and a sustainable future, will be well-represented by the African continent.



The opening ceremony featured stunning visuals and world-class acts, at Al Wasl Plaza, where legendary Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, enthralled with the song, The Prayer.



Each of the 191 participating countries will have its own pavilion at the six-month event opening on October 1.



To a query from FORBES AFRICA about Africa’s participation, the organizers had earlier said:&nbsp;“For decades, the UAE and Africa have enjoyed strong economic ties. Africa has a lot to offer, and the Expo will provide a platform for African nations to tell their story and promote a continent that is ready to move forward and a secure place to do business. For the first time in the 170-year history of World Expos, every African nation will participate, each with its own pavilion, while the African Union will also host its own pavilion at Expo 2020. Building on the long-standing friendship between the UAE and Africa – one based on mutual respect and a shared vision – Expo 2020 offers African nations the opportunity to showcase their individual visions for the future.”

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FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Power, Promise And Partnerships: UAE-Africa Ties

‘If You’ve Got Money, You’ve Got My Attention’: South Africa’s Infrastructure Minister On Wooing Investors And Inviting The UAE To Africa’s First-Ever G20 Summit In 2025

World Fair Ends With Festivities, Pyrotechnics And High Tech

‘Every African Nation’ At Expo 2020 Dubai As World Fair Opens