African investors and entrepreneurs participating in the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum (SIF 2026) identified Sharjah as an expanding gateway for commercial growth and cross-border partnerships, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. Held at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre under the theme "Building Adaptive Economies," the event was organised by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Investment.
The growing investor interest occurs against the backdrop of surging trade between the UAE and Africa. Non-oil trade between the two sides reached approximately US$158 billion in 2025, marking a 41.6 percent increase year-on-year and expanding Africa's share of total UAE non-oil commerce to 15.5 percent.
Lloyd Kashaya, Founding Executive Director of Tamara Holdings, stated that trade ties between Sharjah and African markets offer substantial scope for expansion in automotive vehicles, spare parts, manufacturing, and exports. Kashaya highlighted the role of Khorfakkan Port in handling supply routes for vehicles and consumer goods, and noted that Sharjah's manufacturing of cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps offers African importers a regional sourcing alternative to China, South Korea, or Taiwan.
Haja Tony Diop, a Senegalese entrepreneur based in the UAE, cited property sector opportunities, including regulated land investments. According to official data cited by WAM, UAE-Senegal non-oil trade reached approximately US$1.3 billion in 2025, rising 24.5 percent year-on-year, and exceeded US$751 million during the first half of 2026, while foreign real estate transactions in Sharjah reached AED 23.2 billion in the first nine months of 2025.
Zimbabwean investor Simba M called for greater outreach to African business communities, noting that the continent represents a large, diverse market seeking clearer awareness of the emirate's competitive advantages.
Sources
- www.wam.ae · 2026-10-16
