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The UAE and African nations have introduced a $6bn funding mapping to drive new partnerships throughout tourism, aviation, transport, logistics, infrastructure, and digital transformation, underscoring the UAE’s rising function as a worldwide hub for sustainable financial cooperation.
The announcement got here through the UAE–Africa Tourism Funding Summit 2025, held at Expo Metropolis Dubai below the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The summit — themed “Constructing Bridges for Sustainable Development” and “Tourism on the Coronary heart of Africa’s Development Agenda” — introduced collectively greater than 350 leaders, ministers, buyers, and entrepreneurs from the UAE and 53 African international locations to strengthen collaboration in sustainable tourism and cross-border funding.
Sheikh Mohammed: ‘Tourism is a crucial contributor to our economic system’
Throughout his assembly with African delegates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reaffirmed the UAE’s dedication to strengthening financial and tourism ties with Africa, describing the continent as a key accomplice in shaping the way forward for international tourism.
He mentioned Africa’s pure assets, financial potential, and sustainable growth ambitions align intently with the UAE’s personal imaginative and prescient for inclusive, innovation-driven tourism progress.
Sheikh Mohammed mentioned: “Tourism is a crucial contributor to our nationwide economic system and a sector that provides great alternatives for continued progress and new partnerships.
“The UAE–Africa partnership holds immense promise and has at all times been characterised by a shared perception in discovering new avenues for cooperation to form a greater tomorrow”.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that cooperation in tourism funding represents a mannequin for financial integration, constructed on shared pursuits and long-term growth targets.
He additionally highlighted that tourism supplies a robust platform for fostering cultural alternate, mutual prosperity, and international connectivity.
$6bn funding map and 70,000 new jobs
On the sidelines of the summit, the UAE convened a high-level ministerial roundtable with representatives from greater than 20 African nations, leading to a Joint Ministerial Assertion outlining a brand new roadmap for UAE–Africa cooperation.
The assertion introduced an funding mapping that identifies initiatives in aviation, logistics, infrastructure, and digital transformation value roughly $6bn, anticipated to generate 70,000 direct and oblique jobs throughout collaborating international locations.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Financial system and Tourism, mentioned: “In the present day, the UAE and Africa stand at a pivotal second in growing a resilient and sustainable tourism sector. This milestone is marked by the launch of a brand new funding mapping that includes numerous tourism initiatives in aviation, logistics providers, infrastructure, and the digital sector, with an estimated complete worth of roughly $6bn and the potential to generate 70,000 job alternatives.”
He added that the initiative represents a qualitative shift in UAE–Africa tourism cooperation, paving the best way for larger personal sector participation, and reinforcing tourism’s function as a pillar of complete financial growth.
5 pillars for UAE–Africa cooperation
The Joint Ministerial Assertion recognized 5 strategic areas for future collaboration:
- Tourism growth: Constructing high quality tourism infrastructure, boosting air connectivity, enhancing human capital, and advancing digital transformation
- Funding and infrastructure: Selling predictable regulatory frameworks, facilitating funding, and aligning efforts with the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA)
- Aviation and connectivity: Increasing regional air hyperlinks and enhancing logistics to unlock new and underserved locations
- Sustainability: Encouraging inexperienced initiatives, renewable power, and climate-resilient tourism infrastructure
- SME financing and innovation: Supporting youth- and women-led enterprises, startups, and entry to finance by way of multilateral partnerships
The ministers additionally referred to as on growth finance establishments and buyers to have interaction with this challenge pipeline by way of public–personal partnerships (PPPs), blended finance, and debt-for-nature swaps — recognising personal funding as a catalyst for job creation and inclusive progress.
Africa progress
African ministers collaborating within the summit praised the UAE’s success in leveraging tourism to diversify its economic system, appeal to international funding, and set up a world-class infrastructure base.
They recognised the UAE as a strategic and dependable accomplice in advancing the sustainable growth of African economies.
The discussions additionally reaffirmed the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA) as a basis for regional competitiveness, with the UAE’s engagement seen as key to mobilising capital and connectivity that reinforce Africa’s financial integration.
Ministers agreed to keep up a lightweight coordination mechanism to trace the progress of the funding mapping and report again on the subsequent ministerial assembly.
Sustainable tourism
The summit underlined a shared imaginative and prescient for inclusive, resilient tourism-led progress that advantages communities, empowers girls and youth, helps SMEs, and protects cultural and pure heritage.
Each the UAE and Africa reaffirmed their dedication to innovation-driven, sustainable tourism that enhances financial resilience whereas safeguarding the surroundings — reinforcing tourism as a strategic pillar of long-term prosperity throughout each areas.
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