Uganda is set to step up its economic engagement with the United Arab Emirates as the 5th UAE–Uganda Business Forum brings together investors, businesses and government officials in the Gulf country later this year.

The forum will run from October 26 to 29, 2026, with engagements scheduled in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.

Organised around trade, investment and market access, the forum is expected to connect Ugandan enterprises with UAE investors, buyers, financial institutions and potential strategic partners.

The government says the objective is to move the relationship beyond discussions and generate tangible commercial outcomes, including new investments, export deals, business partnerships and employment.

The forum comes as economic relations between Uganda and the UAE continue to expand.

According to figures released by Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trade between the two countries reached US$4.7 billion in 2025, compared with US$2.7 billion in 2024 and just US$600 million in 2018.

The sharp increase has made the UAE an increasingly important commercial partner for Uganda and a strategic gateway for Ugandan businesses seeking access to Gulf markets and markets beyond the region.

At the upcoming forum, Uganda plans to showcase its export capacity and investment opportunities while helping local companies establish connections with businesses operating in the UAE.

Investment is another major pillar of the growing relationship.

Uganda says UAE investment in the country increased from approximately US$300 million in 2018 to US$3.5 billion in 2025.

The 2026 forum will seek to build on that growth by presenting investors with commercially viable opportunities in sectors considered important to Uganda's economic transformation.

These include agriculture and agro-processing, minerals, tourism, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, logistics, financial services and technology.

The government is particularly seeking investments that can support local value addition, expand productive capacity and create jobs.

The organisers are placing emphasis on what happens after the meetings rather than simply the number of people attending.

Uganda's Ambassador to the UAE, Zaake Wanume Kibedi, said the success of the forum should ultimately be reflected in practical results such as contracts signed, investments secured, exports generated, partnerships established and jobs created.

That approach gives the 2026 forum a strong commercial focus, with business matchmaking and market access expected to be central to the programme.

For Ugandan companies, the event will provide an opportunity to identify buyers and investors while gaining a better understanding of the UAE market.

Agriculture and agro-processing are expected to be among the areas receiving attention as Uganda looks to increase the value of products entering international markets.

The minerals sector will also feature prominently, alongside manufacturing, energy and infrastructure.

Tourism, logistics, finance and technology are additional areas where Uganda wants to attract partnerships and capital from the UAE.

The broader objective is to use the country's relationship with the UAE to bring in investment while opening additional channels for Ugandan goods and services.

The commercial relationship is also supported by strong people-to-people links.

More than 150,000 Ugandans were living in the UAE in 2025, making the country an important destination for Ugandan workers, entrepreneurs and other members of the diaspora.

The large Ugandan community adds another dimension to the economic relationship and contributes to the movement of skills, services, business networks and remittances between the two countries.

Uganda is increasingly positioning the UAE not only as an investment source and destination for its exports, but also as a gateway to the wider Gulf and international markets.

The 5th UAE–Uganda Business Forum is therefore expected to serve as a platform for Ugandan exporters, investors, financial institutions, government agencies and other businesses to establish relationships that can continue beyond the four-day programme.

With bilateral trade already reaching US$4.7 billion, and UAE investment in Uganda standing at about US$3.5 billion, the government is seeking to turn that momentum into broader economic opportunities.

The message from Uganda is clear: the next stage of the relationship should produce more investment, exports, value addition, business partnerships and jobs.

As the two countries prepare for the October forum, the emphasis is shifting from diplomatic engagement to transactions that can deliver measurable benefits for businesses and the wider economy.