ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates has defended its expanding economic and diplomatic engagement across Africa, rejecting portrayals of its growing presence on the continent as a form of imperial influence and describing the relationship instead as a long-term partnership based on investment, sovereignty and shared development priorities.
Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the case in a response published on August 17 to recent reporting examining the Gulf country’s expanding commercial and geopolitical footprint across Africa. Al Hameli said characterizing the relationship through an imperial framework overlooks both the history of UAE-Africa relations and the ability of African governments to determine their own international partnerships.
According to the UAE government, relations with African countries have developed over approximately six decades and now extend across trade, renewable energy, infrastructure, technology, logistics and development. Emirati officials maintain that these relationships are pursued through agreements with African governments rather than through attempts to impose political control.
The scale of Emirati investment has nevertheless made the UAE an increasingly significant economic actor on the continent. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs says more than $110 billion was deployed in African projects between 2019 and 2023, including more than $70 billion directed toward renewable energy and green infrastructure. The government has also announced a $1 billion initiative intended to support artificial-intelligence projects in African countries, including applications in agriculture, education and infrastructure.
Al Hameli described the relationship as one centered on African sovereignty and development rather than domination. She emphasized that African governments are active participants in deciding which international partnerships advance their national priorities, challenging interpretations that treat the continent primarily as an arena for competition among outside powers.
Kenya is among the African countries that have strengthened economic relations with the UAE. President William Ruto and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presided over the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between their countries in January 2025. Kenya’s presidency described the agreement as an important step toward expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation. Trade between Kenya and the UAE had more than doubled over the preceding decade, reaching about 445 billion Kenyan shillings in 2023.
The broader expansion of UAE interests in Africa has also generated scrutiny. Critics and researchers have raised questions about whether extensive foreign investment, control of strategic infrastructure and security relationships can translate into disproportionate political influence, particularly in countries experiencing conflict or institutional weakness. The debate has become especially sensitive because of Sudan’s civil war and allegations concerning outside support for the country’s armed factions.
Join us on WhatsApp
The UAE has repeatedly rejected allegations that it has supplied military support to parties fighting in Sudan. In an official statement addressing such accusations, Al Hameli said the UAE had not supplied arms or ammunition to either side since the conflict erupted in April 2023. She said Abu Dhabi supports “de-escalation, a ceasefire and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue” and respects Sudan’s sovereignty.
Those denials have not ended international scrutiny, leaving Sudan as one of the most contentious dimensions of the debate over the UAE’s role in Africa. Allegations surrounding foreign involvement remain disputed, making clear attribution important when assessing the competing accounts of governments, researchers and other observers.
The controversy also reflects a larger question confronting African governments as global and regional powers compete for commercial opportunities, natural resources and strategic partnerships across the continent. President Ruto has himself called for greater African control over development financing. Speaking in Nairobi in April 2026, he warned that Africa’s ambitions could remain constrained if the continent continued depending heavily on “external capital” primarily interested in securing resources for industries elsewhere.
For African governments, the central challenge is therefore not simply whether foreign investment should be welcomed, but how partnerships can be structured to strengthen domestic economies, protect sovereignty and produce lasting public benefits. The UAE’s rapidly expanding presence illustrates both sides of that equation: significant capital and development opportunities alongside continuing questions about geopolitical influence.
As competition for partnerships with Africa intensifies, the dispute surrounding the UAE highlights the continent’s growing strategic importance in global affairs. Abu Dhabi maintains that its approach is founded on friendship, mutual respect and development, while critics continue to scrutinize the political and security consequences accompanying its economic expansion. Ultimately, African governments and institutions will play a decisive role in determining whether such partnerships reinforce national development and regional integration while preserving the political and economic autonomy of African states.
