Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by Sharjah Export Development Centre (SEDC), organised the Sharjah–Ethiopia Business Forum in Addis Ababa, as part of its trade mission to Ethiopia, bringing together Emirati delegates and Ethiopian business representatives to explore trade and investment opportunities.
Held under the theme ‘Fostering New Partnerships and Driving the Future Together’, the forum aimed to strengthen economic ties between Sharjah and Ethiopia, identify new avenues for bilateral cooperation, and strengthen partnerships that support trade and investment growth in both markets.
The forum was attended by HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI and head of the trade mission; HE Hassan Mohammed, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Industry; HE Waleed AbdelRahman BuKhatir, Second Vice Chairman of SCCI; HE Mohamed Ali Hilal Al Hazami, Board Member of SCCI; and HE Ayesha Mohammed Saeed Al Mulla, Chairperson of Emirates Businesswomen Council (EBWC).
Also present were Abdalla Hassan Alshamsi, UAE Ambassador to Ethiopia; Dewano Kedir, Director General, Middle East, Asia and Pacific Affairs, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Bereket Meseret, Representative of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration; Zekarias Assefa, Secretary-General of Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (Addis Chamber). The forum brought together Emirati delegates representing 10 companies and more than 140 Ethiopian business representatives.
Official signing
A central highlight of the forum was the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SCCI and the Addis Chamber. The agreement aims to solidify institutional cooperation, strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties, and broaden business-to-business engagement.
The forum also featured a panel discussion bringing together officials and representatives of Ethiopia’s public and private sectors.
Moderated by Lamia Al Jasmi, Head of Exporters’ Service Department, SEDC, the discussion explored opportunities to enhance economic and trade cooperation and identify investment opportunities for Emirati and Ethiopian companies, contributing to broader cooperation and stronger trade relations between the two sides.
Bilateral trade
Meanwhile, HE Bereket Meseret reported that bilateral trade between the UAE and Ethiopia totaled USD 5.6bn from 2021 to 2025, comprising US$ 1.2bn in Ethiopian exports and US$ 4.4bn in imports from the UAE. He highlighted coffee as Ethiopia’s leading export to the UAE, followed by sesame seeds, meat products, cut flowers and fresh produce.
The forum featured a series of B2B meetings bringing together Sharjah-based companies and Ethiopian businesses to discuss trade and investment opportunities and explore potential partnerships across industry, agriculture, agribusiness and food security, alongside food processing, packaging, building materials and logistics.
