President William Ruto and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan during the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Kenya and UAE in Abu Dhabi. [File,Standard]
UAE investment in Africa is moving beyond traditional sectors into artificial intelligence, renewable energy, logistics and infrastructure, broadening economic cooperation.
Projects range from power plants and transport links to digital services and supply-chain facilities across several African economies.
In 2025, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a US$1 billion (Sh129.1 billion) AI for Development initiative to finance artificial intelligence (AI) projects across African countries, including applications in education, agriculture and healthcare.
Renewable energy projects are also adding generation capacity in countries seeking to strengthen electricity supply, while investment in transport and logistics is supporting the movement of goods between producers and markets.
UAE entities have announced more than US$168 billion (Sh21.69 trillion) in projects across Africa since 2017, according to Financial Times analysis.
The projects cover renewable energy, infrastructure, mining and agriculture, alongside growing activity in technology, transport and logistics.
Kenya's Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE provides a framework for greater trade and investment in technology, agriculture, infrastructure and logistics.