Dubai Chamber Unlocks African Expansion for Local Businesses

Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, organised the first event in its 2026 ‘In Focus’ series today, with the aim of helping local companies explore expansion opportunities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa. The event attracted over 228 participants and highlighted key trade and investment opportunities, together with the mechanisms for doing business in the three African countries. Attendees also gained valuable insights into promising economic sectors and effective strategies for entering these markets and achieving sustainable growth. The ‘In Focus’ event serves as an introduction to the ‘New Horizons’ initiative, which enables Dubai-based companies to join trade missions organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce to carefully selected international markets. The initiative also includes the organisation of events and meetings in these markets to explore investment opportunities and joint economic partnerships. The chamber plans to organise trade missions to Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa during the first half of this year. Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, commented, “We are committed to empowering the business community to explore new growth horizons in promising international markets and helping companies build strategic partnerships that support business expansion and strengthen long-term sustainability. This reflects our ongoing focus on enhancing private sector competitiveness by providing companies with the insights and expertise they need to understand international market dynamics and navigate their expansion effectively, while leveraging Dubai’s integrated strengths as a global hub for business and trade.” During 2024, the value of non-oil trade between Dubai and Ethiopia reached approximately AED 6.6 billion, representing annual growth of 90%. Dubai’s non-oil trade with Ghana rose to AED 24.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 75%. South Africa continues to rank as one of Dubai’s key trading partners in Africa, with non-oil trade between Dubai and South Africa registering annual growth of 20% to reach AED 29 billion. These figures highlight the strength of Dubai’s economic ties with key African markets and underline the depth of opportunities available across the continent. The session included a presentation outlining Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to support the expansion of Dubai-based companies into new international markets, together with a detailed overview of the trade and investment opportunities available in Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa. Participants in the ‘In Focus’ series benefit from in-depth business intelligence on the markets they are considering for trade and investment expansion, as well as tailored recommendations throughout every stage of their international growth journeys. This includes access to the latest market data and advice on doing business, together with guidance on company set-up processes and the establishment of joint ventures.