São Paulo – The United Arab Emirates is among the leading foreign investors in Africa and serves as an example of investments in the continent, according to AbdulAziz Al Shehhi, senior researcher and deputy head of the research sector at TRENDS Research & Advisory, a research institution from the UAE that held a symposium during the Brazil Africa Forum in São Paulo on Tuesday (15). TRENDS Research & Advisory was one of the sponsors of the forum.
The theme of the symposium was “Sustainable Prosperity: A Governance Approach to Boosting Investment in African Infrastructure,” a debate for which the institution brought in experts from Brazil and elsewhere. After the meeting, Al Shehhi told ANBA that the UAE’s investments in Africa stand out for ensuring sustainable, transparent, and mutually beneficial solutions.
“Africa has a lot of potential,” he said. According to the researcher, the world needs Africa and should participate in its development. Al Shehhi noted the African continent has untapped potential in sectors such as energy and natural resources and has economic markets on the verge of emerging.
He said the UAE invests in the continent in areas such as clean energy, solar panels, information, communication, and technology to ensure internet access to more countries, which also means more job opportunities, education, and basic needs. According to Al Shehhi, UAE investments are across over 42 African countries.
“What is important to remember is that the UAE-African partnership is not merely a transactional partnership–it’s a partnership where both sides are equal,” he said, emphasizing that choosing areas that are beneficial for both the UAE and the African countries is key to the partnership. According to him, the Arab country is not a new partner to the continent, having invested in it since the early 2000s.
Al Shehhi says the world should pay more attention to Africa, citing the continent’s economic rise and its position as a place of opportunity. He said TRENDS Research & Advisory decided to hold the symposium at the forum in São Paulo because, much like the UAE, Brazil has also been a major investor and a strong supporter of Africa, helping to unlock the continent’s potential.
UAE’s TRENDS Research & Advisory
TRENDS Research & Advisory analyzes the geopolitical, economic, and social aspects of regional and global developments in order to better understand the prevailing trends and the opportunities and challenges they present.
In addition to Al Shehhi, speakers at the TRENDS symposium during the Brazil Africa Forum included Brazil’s Otaviano Canuto, former vice president and executive director of the World Bank, and Paulo Gomes, chairman of the board of the Africa-Southeast Asia Chamber of Commerce, along with leaders from the UAE’s research sector. The session was moderated by El-Yazia Al-Hosani, director of the Media Department at TRENDS.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
