Dubai Chambers boosts trade and investment relations with Ethiopia
- Last updated: June 1, 2026 | 09:45
Dubai Chambers has held a series of meetings with government entities, economic institutions, and investment organisations in Addis Ababa to explore ways of strengthening trade and investment between Dubai and Ethiopia.
The meetings were attended by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers. Dubai Chambers met with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry, represented by Melaku Alebel, Minister of Industry, to discuss ways to expand cooperation across industrial sectors. The meeting also explored opportunities to strengthen private sector partnerships, increase trade exchange, and open new avenues for joint investment.
Dubai Chambers also held a meeting with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, represented by its Deputy Commissioner, Zinabu Yirga. Discussions focused on attracting investment, strengthening cooperation in priority sectors, and highlighting the investment environments in Dubai and Ethiopia, as well as the advantages available to investors and international companies.
In addition, Dubai Chambers met with Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Africa’s largest sovereign wealth fund, represented by the fund’s Deputy CEO, Meleket Sahlu. The meeting explored opportunities to build long-term partnerships that advance economic development and create new opportunities for companies and investors from Dubai and Ethiopia.
The meetings took place as part of the trade mission led by Dubai Chamber of Commerce to Ethiopia and Ghana. The mission aims to support the expansion of companies operating in Dubai into high-potential African markets.
Last week, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has successfully concluded the Ethiopia leg of its trade mission to Ghana and Ethiopia, organising 510 bilateral business meetings in Addis Ababa between companies from Dubai and their Ethiopian counterparts. The meetings created a platform to explore opportunities for cooperation and develop new partnerships across a range of priority sectors.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce achieved a new high in Addis Ababa, organising 510 B2B meetings - the highest since the launch of its “New Horizons” initiative in 2023 to support the global expansion of Dubai companies. This record underscores strong international confidence in Dubai’s business ecosystem and highlights the growing interest among foreign companies in building economic ties and partnerships with Dubai’s business community.
As part of the mission, the chamber hosted the ‘Dubai–Ethiopia Business Connect’ forum in cooperation with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations; the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations; and the Ethiopian Investment Commission. The forum attracted 669 senior officials, business leaders, and representatives of local companies, providing a platform to explore prospects for cooperation and new partnership opportunities between members of the Dubai delegation and Ethiopia’s business community.
The value of non-oil trade between Dubai and Ethiopia reached Dhs22.3 billion in 2025, recording strong year-on-year growth of 236.6%. A total of 91 new Ethiopian companies joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce during Q1 2026, bringing the total number of Ethiopian companies registered as active members of the chamber to 1,676 by the end of March 2026.
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