The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has discussed plans to organize reciprocal trade missions between Sharjah and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to strengthen business-to-business engagement and expand investment cooperation.
The initiative supports Sharjah Chamber’s efforts to facilitate international trade missions, foster sustainable economic partnerships, and drive comprehensive development in both countries. The discussions took place during a meeting at SCCI headquarters, where HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, received Zerihun Megersa, Consul General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The meeting was attended by HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Business Sector at Sharjah Chamber, Dr. Fatima Khalifa Al Muqarrab, Director of the International Relations Department at Sharjah Chamber, and senior officials from both sides.
The meeting focused on expanding bilateral economic and investment cooperation, with SCCI presenting opportunities to strengthen trade and investment partnerships between the business communities of Sharjah and Ethiopia.
The Sharjah Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Sharjah as a leading investment destination while strengthening engagement with emerging African markets. Discussions also covered joint initiatives to increase bilateral trade, promote cross-border investment, and deepen commercial ties.
HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais stated that the meeting marks an important milestone in strengthening institutional coordination between SCCI and the Ethiopian Consulate General to better serve the interests of the business communities in both countries.
Al Owais noted that the United Arab Emirates is among the largest international investors in Ethiopia, with Emirati companies operating across strategic sectors including renewable and clean energy, real estate and urban development, logistics, agricultural investment, food security, and manufacturing.
He added that more than 130 major UAE companies are currently operating in Ethiopia, delivering over 160 projects while leveraging the country’s fertile agricultural land and abundant labour force.
Al Owais described Ethiopia as a strategic economic gateway for the United Arab Emirates into Africa, highlighting its favourable demographics, sizeable consumer market, and rich natural resources as key drivers of long-term investment potential.
He reaffirmed the Sharjah Chamber’s commitment to facilitating trade missions to Ethiopia and supporting the local business community in identifying opportunities across high-growth sectors, particularly manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Al Owais noted that these efforts aim to strengthen bilateral commercial ties and sustain the expanded economic cooperation between the two countries.
Discussions on advanced infrastructure development
The Ethiopian delegation praised Sharjah’s strong economy, world-class infrastructure, and logistics capabilities, saying the emirate has established itself as a leading global trade hub connecting regional and international markets. The delegation reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening investment partnerships and institutional collaboration with the Sharjah Chamber to facilitate increased bilateral investment.
The delegation also highlighted Ethiopia’s infrastructure agenda, including the construction of a new airport expected to rank among the largest in Africa and globally, a project aimed at strengthening the country’s position as a regional logistics hub.
Sharjah Chamber, Ethiopian delegation explore investment ties
Both sides highlighted investment opportunities for UAE companies in high-growth sectors including mining, tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Ethiopian delegation also underscored the country’s commitment to fostering innovation, accelerating the transition to a knowledge-based economy, and developing future-oriented industries.
The delegation pointed to the establishment of Ethiopia’s first university dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying the initiative creates new opportunities for technical and institutional cooperation with the United Arab Emirates by leveraging the UAE’s leadership in advanced technology and innovation. The meeting also explored ways to further strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Sharjah and Ethiopia, building on the growing UAE-Ethiopia economic partnership.
