Dubai: Dubai International Chamber, one of three chambers under Dubai Chambers, has facilitated over 150 business meetings between Dubai and Senegal companies.
The chamber’s “New Horizons” initiative, which links local businesses with potential international markets to help their expansion, included meetings in Dakar on the first phase of their trade mission to Senegal and Morocco.
Companies in agriculture and food, beauty and cosmetics, construction, real estate, retail, electronics, energy, environmental solutions, fashion e-commerce, food and beverages, general trading, healthcare and medical supplies, information technology, oil and gas, supply chain and logistics were among the representatives of Dubai-based businesses that attended the trade mission.
Based on data from Dubai Customs, non-oil commerce between Senegal and Dubai reached a value of AED3.4 billion in 2023, representing a 17.7 percent year-over-year gain. By the conclusion of Q12024, there were sixty Senegalese businesses registered as active members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
During his opening remarks at the event, Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, commented, “Dubai is continuing to strengthen its economic ties with countries around the world. Through this trade mission, Dubai International Chamber aims to explore investment opportunities and promising business partnerships between Dubai’s private sector and new business partners on the African continent, and Senegal in particular.”
The Dubai International Chamber, in collaboration with the UAE Embassy in Dakar, the National Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Senegal, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Dakar, the National Agency for Investment Promotion and Major Projects of Senegal, and the Senegalese Export Promotion Agency, organized a special business forum titled “Doing Business with Senegal” on the first day of the roadshow.
247 people attended the event, including prominent Senegalese government officials, corporate executives, and representatives of regional businesses.
A number of potential industries for Dubai to export to Senegal have been recognized by the chamber. These industries include mobile phones, electronics, cars, rice, wheat, light vessels, floating cranes, and bulldozers.
Senegal offers significant investment potential for companies based in Dubai, particularly in the fields of automobiles and spare parts, construction, renewable energy, agriculture, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.