Dubai Chambers has opened a new phase of economic engagement with Ethiopia through high-level meetings in Addis Ababa aimed at widening trade, investment and private-sector links between the two markets.The discussions brought Dubai Chambers into direct contact with government entities, economic institutions and investment organisations in Ethiopia’s capital, with talks focused on industrial cooperation, investment flows, market access and long-term partnerships for companies operating in Dubai and Ethiopia. The meetings were attended by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, underscoring the strategic weight Dubai is placing on East Africa as part of its broader outward expansion agenda.
Dubai Chambers met Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry, represented by Minister of Industry Melaku Alebel, to examine ways to expand cooperation across industrial sectors. The discussions covered opportunities to strengthen private-sector partnerships, raise trade exchange and identify new areas for joint investment, particularly as Ethiopia seeks to attract foreign capital into manufacturing and export-oriented industries.
A separate meeting with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, represented by Deputy Commissioner Zinabu Yirga, centred on investment promotion and priority sectors. Both sides discussed the business environments in Dubai and Ethiopia, including incentives and advantages available to investors and international companies. The commission remains a central agency in Ethiopia’s drive to position the country as a competitive destination for foreign direct investment.
Dubai Chambers also held talks with Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Africa’s largest sovereign wealth fund, represented by Deputy CEO Meleket Sahlu. The meeting explored long-term partnerships that could support economic development and create opportunities for companies and investors from both markets. The fund’s role in Ethiopia’s state-owned assets and investment strategy gives it particular importance for foreign institutions assessing large-scale opportunities.
The Addis Ababa meetings formed part of a trade mission led by Dubai Chamber of Commerce to Ethiopia and Ghana under the New Horizons initiative, launched in 2023 to help Dubai-based companies expand into high-potential international markets. The Ethiopia leg followed growing institutional engagement between Dubai and Addis Ababa, with Dubai Chambers working to convert diplomatic and commercial goodwill into practical business channels.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce concluded the Ethiopia leg of the mission with 510 bilateral business meetings between companies from Dubai and counterparts in Ethiopia, the highest number recorded since the launch of the New Horizons trade-mission programme. The meetings provided a platform for companies to explore cooperation across priority sectors and assess opportunities for distribution, supply, investment and services partnerships.
The scale of engagement reflects a sharp rise in commercial activity between Dubai and Ethiopia. Dubai’s non-oil trade with Ethiopia reached AED22.3 billion in 2025, marking year-on-year growth of 236.6 per cent. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, 1,676 Ethiopian companies were registered as active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, after 91 new Ethiopian companies joined during the first three months of the year.
The figures point to Ethiopia’s growing relevance in Dubai’s Africa strategy. Ethiopia’s large domestic market, industrial ambitions and position in the Horn of Africa make it an important commercial gateway, while Dubai’s logistics networks, free zones, financial services and re-export capacity offer Ethiopian companies access to wider regional and global markets.
Ethiopia has been seeking to draw more foreign investment into manufacturing, agro-processing, logistics, energy, construction materials, technology and services. Its reform agenda has included efforts to open selected sectors, improve investment facilitation and deepen engagement with foreign business groups. Investors continue to weigh opportunities against challenges including foreign-exchange availability, regulatory complexity, debt pressures and security risks in parts of the country.
For Dubai, the push into Ethiopia fits within a wider strategy to diversify trade corridors and support private-sector expansion beyond traditional markets. Dubai Chambers has been working to help companies identify new routes for growth as the emirate seeks to double the size of its economy and strengthen its position among the world’s leading business centres by 2033.
The Ghana and Ethiopia mission also reflects intensifying competition among global trade hubs for African market access. Gulf economies have expanded their commercial presence across the continent through investments in ports, logistics, food security, energy, technology and financial services. Ethiopia’s location, population base and development priorities make it a focal point for such engagement.
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