Sharjah, UAE, 8 December 2018:  The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), which is being represented by the Sharjah Exports Development Center that falls under the chamber’s umbrella, will organize a trade mission to Kenya and Uganda, as part of its strategy to find and develop marketing opportunities for local industries in promising foreign markets, and especially in the African markets.

The chamber’s trade mission will launch on Monday, along with the participation of 30 national companies that operate in various manufacturing and industrial sectors such as iron, steel, food, power solutions and electronic devices, among others. The chamber looks to establish trade relations and to review the investment opportunities available in both Kenya and Uganda.

The mission will be headed by HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, and will include representatives from Expo Centre Sharjah, as well as a number of businesspeople and investors from Sharjah. The mission will be held in coordination with the UAE embassies in both Kenya and Uganda, and in cooperation with Dubai Consultancy, as well as with a partnership with the Federation Of U.A.E Chambers.

The trade mission to Kenya and Uganda is a complement to previous trade missions and official visits led by the SCCI to a number of African countries during the past few years, which led to strengthening relations between Sharjah and a lot of countries from the African continent. 

HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, stated that organizing this new trade mission to East Africa is part of the chamber’s aspirations to promote the Emirate of Sharjah as a leading economic and trade centre in the region, and as part of its efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the emirate’s business community, as well as to support national industries and exports, and to attract and exchange investments that help in building a sustainable economy.
Al Owais added that the visit will promote the advantages and investment opportunities in Sharjah, and what the Sharjah chamber offers in terms of incentives and facilities to foreign companies looking to establish their businesses in Sharjah and enhance their presence in the region.

The mission starts with an official visit to Kenya during December 9-11. Kenya has one of the largest and most developed economies of East and Central Africa.

The first day of the visit will witness the organization of the “UAE-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum,” which will be followed by bilateral meetings between representatives of business communities from both countries, as well as field trips to a number of vital economic facilities in Kenya. 

The delegation will continue its African tour by visiting Uganda, whose economy is witnessing a high growth rate, during December 12-15. During this time, the “UAE - Ugandan Trade and Investment Forum” will launch its activities, which will be followed by bilateral business meetings and field trips to a number of economic enterprises in Uganda.

The companies that will join the mission represent various sectors in Sharjah that are characterized by the high-quality products they produce. The mission will include companies that operate in the fields of food, beverages, consumer goods, agriculture, solar energy, real estate, furniture, industrial and electrical equipment, plastics engineering, packaging, building materials, and oil and gas.

The UAE is considered a preferred trade partner to both Kenya and Uganda, since it is considered one of the largest suppliers of goods and services to both countries, in addition to being a major source of oil. The mission comes at a time when the economy of East Africa, and especially Uganda, continues to achieve remarkable growth rates, while Kenya has become a prominent trading partner with many countries of the Middle East, and especially the UAE.