The Emirates News Agency reported that President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan dispatched a cable to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni conveying congratulations on Uganda’s Independence Day. Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum along with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent similar messages to the Ugandan leader and people. The exchanges highlight the strong bilateral relationship that has expanded significantly across multiple sectors in recent years.
Uganda marks its Independence Day on October 9 each year to commemorate its freedom from British colonial rule in 1962. The UAE leaders expressed wishes for further development and prosperity for the East African nation and its citizens in their communications. Such annual messages form a regular part of diplomatic protocol between the two countries that maintain active embassies and high-level contacts.
According to Uganda’s Ambassador to the UAE Zaake Kibedi in an interview with Forbes Africa, the bilateral trade portfolio reached $2.85 billion in 2024, up sharply from $600 million in 2018. The ambassador noted that the UAE has become Uganda’s top export destination for the first time, overtaking traditional regional partners including Kenya and Tanzania. Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity places Uganda’s exports to the UAE at $2.61 billion in 2024, led by gold and coffee shipments.
UAE investments in Uganda have also grown more than tenfold since 2018 to reach $3.5 billion by 2024, the ambassador told Forbes Africa, positioning the Gulf state among the top three investors in the country. President Museveni has visited the UAE multiple times in recent years while Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled to Kampala in May 2025, where six memoranda of understanding were signed covering infrastructure and diplomatic cooperation. These engagements have helped diversify ties beyond trade into areas such as energy, agriculture and technology.
The Ministry of Trade in Uganda stated that non-oil trade between the two countries has surpassed $2 billion annually, with Ugandan exports including coffee, tea and fish finding ready markets in the UAE. In return, the UAE supplies petroleum products, machinery and electronics, supported by direct flights that facilitate perishable goods movement. Ambassador Kibedi highlighted that more than 150,000 Ugandans now live and work in the UAE, generating annual remittances around $350 million that contribute to Uganda’s economy.
A later update from Ugandan officials indicated that total bilateral trade climbed to $4.7 billion in 2025, representing more than a sevenfold increase from 2018 levels. The fifth UAE-Uganda Business Forum held in 2026 focused on sectors including agro-processing, mining and tourism to further expand these flows. Both sides continue to explore additional agreements that build on the foundation of mutual diplomatic support demonstrated through messages such as those exchanged on Independence Day.
