Sharjah Chamber Launches UAE-Kenya Trade And Investment Forum In Nairobi

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) organized the UAE-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the start of its trade mission to Kenya and Uganda.

The forum, represented by the Sharjah Exports Development Centre (SEDC), aimed to highlight attractive investment opportunities in both Sharjah and Kenya across several key industries while discussing ways to boost cooperation and trade between private sector businesses in the two countries.

Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, led the trade delegation from Sharjah. The forum was attended by prominent officials including Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry, Salim Mvurya, and Ronald Mero, Chief Economic Policy Officer at the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).

Other SCCI representatives included board members Mohamed Rashid Ali Demas and Nasir Musabeh Ahmed Al Tunaiji, as well as Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Business at SCCI.

The event also brought together business leaders, investors, and representatives from the Emirati and Kenyan business communities. At the forum, participants discussed ways to build partnerships that would boost economic cooperation between the UAE and Kenya.

The event provided a chance for the business communities of both countries to connect across different industries and sectors, WAM reported.

The UAE-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum also hosted one-on-one business meetings between Emirati and Kenyan entrepreneurs. These meetings offered direct opportunities for partnerships in key areas like oil and gas, construction materials and infrastructure, and logistics.

In his opening speech, Al Owais thanked the hosts for their warm hospitality. He highlighted that this forum, as part of the ninth Sharjah Chamber trade mission to Kenya and Uganda, is a significant step toward strengthening economic ties between the UAE—especially Sharjah—and Kenya.

Mvurya, on the other hand, welcomed the Sharjah Chamber delegation, describing the trade mission as a valuable opportunity to strengthen trade and investment links between the UAE and Kenya.

He highlighted that the UAE-Kenya Trade and Investment Forum reflects the strong bond between the two nations, which has been built through several cooperation agreements in recent years to boost economic and trade relations.

Mvurya mentioned that the UAE is Kenya's sixth-largest trade partner, with trade between them growing by 169.24 percent over the last nine years, from 142.5 billion Kenyan shillings in 2013 to 383.68 billion shillings in 2022.

He stressed Kenya's commitment to further deepening trade and investment cooperation with the UAE, and he noted that the forum reinforces this commitment. He added that Kenya's Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry aims to promote collaboration between business councils to strengthen connections between the private sectors in both countries.