Podcast Summary: Business Daily – "The UAE's growing influence in Africa"
Host: Sameer Hashmi, BBC World Service
Air Date: January 8, 2026

Overview

This episode of Business Daily examines how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rapidly become the largest state investor in Africa, surpassing even China, and what this shift means for both continents. The discussion explores the drivers behind the UAE’s investment surge, the sectors targeted, the impact on African economies, the differences in investment strategies compared to traditional players, and the controversies surrounding gold smuggling allegations.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The UAE's Investment Surge in Africa

• Scale and Growth of Investment

  • Over the past five years, UAE companies pledged approximately $110 billion in Africa, more than doubling the investment from China, France, or the UK.

    "For the last five years, the UAE pledged around $110 billion. We start small... you need to understand the market and see who are the main players..."
    — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade (01:31 & 06:51)

• Focus Sectors

  • The UAE targets sectors including clean energy, logistics, food security, and mining.

    "The first one is clean energy and energy in general... second one is logistics... third one is for sure the food security... I don't want to forget the mining and minerals."
    — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (04:37)

• Strategic Motivation

  • Investments are driven by broader economic diversification goals, aiming to move the UAE away from oil dependence and build its status as a global logistics and clean energy hub.

    "For the UAE, this investment is about far more than profit. It's part of a strategy to diversify the economy..."
    — Sameer Hashmi (07:54)

2. Mutual Benefits: What’s in it for Africa and the UAE?

• Benefits for African Nations

  • New job creation, improved infrastructure, technology transfer, and economic diversification are highlighted by African officials.

    "We want to diversify the economy at a really fast pace... Just in the last two years, UAE companies have announced investment in Angola of around US$6.5 billion."
    — Dr. Josie D. Lima Masano, Angola's Minister of State for Economic Coordination (09:36)

• Emirati Companies on the Ground

  • Emirates-based firms like DP World invest in ports and logistics, aiming to cut costs and unlock economic potential by addressing infrastructure bottlenecks.

    "What is our ambition in Africa is really to remove a lot of the obstacles in the logistics today and make basically cost of logistics and shipping much cheaper than what it is today."
    — Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World (02:10, 15:16)

3. Differentiation from Traditional Investors

• Community-Oriented Approach

  • The UAE prioritizes investments that generate social impact, job creation beyond capital cities, and broader accessibility to infrastructure and energy.

    "We're ensuring that our investment is... having a social impact when it comes to creation of jobs, being away from the main cities..."
    — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (06:02)

• Contrast with China's Model

  • Angola still borrows when necessary, but seeks more equity and risk-sharing from UAE investors instead of solely debt-financed infrastructure:

    "Not just lending funds to develop infrastructure, but actually committing resources, taking risk in our economy."
    — Dr. Josie D. Lima Masano (11:03)

4. Addressing Risks & Controversies

• Investment Risks: Political & Legal Instability

  • DP World learned hard lessons from nationalization events (e.g., Djibouti) and now works with European partners for greater security.

    "Actually, you know, nationalization and the aggressive approach of a government like Djibouti we haven't seen anywhere in the world... We learn what to do and how to avoid something like that."
    — Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem (16:51)

• Gold Smuggling Allegations

  • Allegations surfaced that most smuggled African gold goes to the UAE; the country strongly denies wrongdoing and insists on responsible sourcing.

    "Those attacking PRs are coming from certain NGOs or certain media based on reports which is not valid. The process is there, the system is there..."
    — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (18:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Market Entry Strategy:

  "We start small. You don't start with the big projects and you need to test the ground."
  — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (01:31, 06:51)

• On Social Impact:

  "It's not about only extraction of raw materials... it's about the partnerships."
  — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (06:02)

• On Africa's Economic Transformation:

  "Just in the last two years, UAE companies have announced investment in Angola of around US$6.5 billion."
  — Dr. Josie D. Lima Masano (09:36)

• On Lessons Learned from Djibouti:

  "We invested in Africa in partnership with European institutions... these countries have already agreement between these countries of protection, investment and so on..."
  — Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem (16:51)

• On Gold Allegations:

  "As long as we're doing everything legal, we're going to continue as long as we're doing the right and legitimate processes within the sector."
  — Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi (18:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:31 – Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi introduces UAE's Africa investment strategy
• 03:44 – Diversification and sector targeting by the UAE
• 06:02 – UAE's differentiated, partnership-driven approach
• 09:36 – Dr. Josie D. Lima Masano discusses Angola's economic priorities
• 11:03 – Comparison between UAE and China’s Africa investment models
• 14:12 – Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem on DP World’s work in Africa
• 16:51 – Handling of business risks and the Djibouti case
• 17:54 – Sameer Hashmi addresses gold smuggling allegations; Dr. Thani Al Ziyoudi responds

Conclusion

The UAE’s growing footprint in Africa is strategic and multi-faceted, focusing on long-term economic, technological, and soft power gains. While African nations welcome new investment models and partnership approaches, there are lingering risks and emerging controversies that both the UAE and its partners must navigate. As both sides deepen ties and expand cooperation, Africa's economic landscape is being reshaped—offering opportunities and posing new dependencies.