Ghana is making strong moves to grow its trade and investment relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of efforts to expand its economy and attract more foreign investors. This plan was clearly seen during the Ghana Roundtable Meeting held on February 15, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event took place during the Gulf Food Exhibition and was organised by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ghana Embassy in the UAE.
The Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Mr. Yofi Grant, told participants that Ghana’s economy has been showing good growth and is open for business. He urged business people in the UAE to invest in Ghana’s industrial, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors. He also pointed out that Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer and the second-largest economy in West Africa, showing the country’s strength and potential for investment.
Mr. Grant explained that Ghana is not only looking for capital but also strategic partnerships that can help the country develop key industries. He said the roundtable gave Ghanaian companies a chance to showcase new ideas in agriculture and talk about possible business deals with their UAE counterparts.
Ghana’s Ambassador to the UAE, Mr. Ahmed Ramadan, said he is hopeful that trade between Ghana and the UAE will grow strongly in the coming years. He said plans like the upcoming Ghana Investment Week will help bring more business between both countries and open more doors for Ghanaian businesses.
From 2017 to 2020, Ghana’s economy grew at an average rate of 7%, according to officials. The country is also known for its political stability and natural resources, making it attractive for foreign investors. Ghana is also home to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which puts it in a good position for regional and international trade.
Apart from agriculture, Ghana is also putting focus on its energy sector. The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is expected to take part in the Invest in African Energy event in Dubai. There, he will promote Ghana’s oil and gas sector to investors. Ghana has over 1.035 billion barrels of oil and 1.72 trillion cubic feet of gas in proven reserves. The government wants to make electricity available to every home by 2025. One of the key projects is the construction of a second gas processing plant by the Ghana National Gas Company.
The Dubai Chamber of Commerce has been playing a big role in bringing Ghana and UAE businesses together. Since opening its office in Accra in 2015, the Chamber has helped more than 300 Ghanaian and Emirati businesses connect. They have also supported Ghanaian exporters in the cashew and pharmaceutical industries to access Gulf markets. Plans are on ground for new workshops on modern customs processes and a study on setting up a Ghana-UAE industrial park.
Trade between Ghana and Dubai is growing fast. The total value of trade jumped by 110%, from $2.5 billion in 2021 to $5.3 billion in 2022. This rise shows that both countries are doing more business together. In the first nine months of 2023 alone, 43 new Ghanaian businesses registered in Dubai, bringing the total number of Ghanaian-owned companies in the UAE city to 116.
In a move to support more African trade, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) also signed an agreement with the UAE Trade Centre to push the TRADAR Club project. This programme is aimed at giving global business leaders and African companies the tools and information they need to grow trade and investments on the continent.
All these steps show that Ghana is serious about building strong partnerships with the UAE and taking its place as a big player in global trade. With efforts in agriculture, energy, and digital sectors, the country is positioning itself for long-term economic growth and regional leadership.
