AFC, ARISE IIP to headline Africa Debate – UAE in Dubai

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) have been announced as Headline Partners for this year’s Africa Debate – United Arab Emirates (UAE), scheduled to take place in Dubai on September 30, 2025.

The forum, organised by Invest Africa in partnership with the UAE Government, will explore new opportunities emerging along the UAE–Africa investment corridor, with a focus on moving beyond one-off deals to long-term, sustainable partnerships.

This year’s edition comes at a crucial moment as Africa and the Gulf prepare for COP30, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) advances from negotiation to implementation, and global capital flows increasingly shift towards the Global South.

Confirmed participants include senior government and business leaders such as H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; H.E. Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State; H.E. João Jorge Matlombe, Mozambique’s Minister of Transport and Logistics; H.E. Dr. José de Lima Massano, Angola’s Minister of State for Economic Coordination; H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, President of the Republic of Somaliland; Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO of ARISE IIP; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World; Mohamed Ismail Mansour, Chairman of Infinity Power; and Admassu Tadesse, Group President and Managing Director of the Trade and Development Bank.

‘Right platform to deliver projects at scale’

Gagan Gupta, ARISE IIP CEO, said the forum would help channel Gulf capital into Africa’s industrialisation push.

“The UAE–Africa partnership sits at the heart of ARISE IIP’s growth strategy, linking Gulf capital and logistics expertise with Africa’s industrial momentum to localise value, create jobs and build competitive exports,” Gupta said.

AFC President and CEO, Samaila Zubairu, stressed that the corridor was central to the Corporation’s mission of mobilising long-term capital for Africa’s infrastructure.

“The Africa Debate – UAE provides the right platform to align incentives and move projects to bankability—advancing a pipeline across climate-aligned energy, efficient transport and competitive industrial zones with public and private partners,” Zubairu said.

Chantelé Carrington, CEO of Invest Africa, said the forum’s agenda, themed “Shared Markets, Shared Future”, would focus on practical issues such as ports and logistics, industrial zones, renewables and agri-value chains.

Key partners and participants

Strategic partners for the event include Afreximbank and Standard Chartered, alongside supporting partners and investors such as Absa, DP World, Moody’s Ratings, Lagos Free Zone, Infinity Power, Oyo State Government, and Standard Bank.

The forum is designed to move projects from “discussion to delivery,” with targeted matchmaking sessions to ensure concrete outcomes.