African political leaders, leaders from the mineral industry and people who make decisions for institutions met at the Dubai World Trade Centre during the AIM Congress 2026. They shared a plan for the economy with investors from the Gulf Cooperation Council. The main idea asks Middle Eastern money managers and family offices to change from taking out resources. Instead, they should put money into refining, making things and building factories. The event was organised by the Africa GCC Council. The special Africa Pavilion at the meeting has been changed. Now it focuses on money deals instead of agreements that are not official.
Dr M’zée Fula Ngenge, Chairperson of the Africa Pavilion, emphasised that the 2026 gathering marks an intentional move toward outcome-driven diplomacy, utilising structured deal rooms and executive roundtables to link continental project developers directly with Gulf institutional wealth.
The campaign builds upon existing regional momentum. Foreign ministry data indicates the United Arab Emirates invested over $110 billion in African ventures between 2019 and 2023—with renewables absorbing more than $70 billion—positioning the nation as Africa’s fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment behind the United States, China, and the European Union.
Addressing regional challenges during a high-level panel, Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja detailed how landlocked nations across East and Central Africa are developing cross-border transit corridors and joint infrastructure frameworks to eliminate logistical bottlenecks and attract foreign industrial funding. Meanwhile, Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, argued that while Africa commands critical transition minerals such as copper, lithium, cobalt, and bauxite, long-term economic development hinges on processing these commodities locally rather than exporting unrefined raw materials.
Non-governmental organisations also highlighted the human capital element required for industrial expansion. Representatives from the F&F Young Women Entrepreneurship Development Organisation (FYWEDO) joined delegates to address capacity gaps among small and medium-sized enterprises, prioritising corporate branding, marketing, and professional soft skills.
By establishing dedicated transactional platforms alongside the AfCFTA framework, African delegations at AIM Congress 2026 aim to transform the continent from a raw resource supplier into a value-added industrial partner powered by Gulf capital. Dubai Financial Center
