It is well known that UAE is Tanzania’s primary trade and investment partner among the countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is closely followed by Oman. The Tanzanian embassy opened its doors in Abu Dhabi back in 2002, while the UAE in 2007 reciprocated by opening its embassy in Dar es Salaam. Also Dubai hosts the Consulate Office of the United Republic of Tanzania.

UAE is among Tanzania’s top five import partners. This is led by China representing 12 per cent of the total imports, followed by Switzerland (8.8 per cent), South Africa (8.5 per cent), UAE (8.4 per cent), and India (7.6 per cent). Direct accumulative investment by the UAE in Tanzania rose to USD 991.5 million. The trade balance between UAE and Tanzania stands at around USD 2 billion annually. Tanzania on average imports $1.14 billion worth of goods from the UAE with 53 per cent of that being petroleum products; while the UAE imported $85 million worth of goods from Tanzania, comprising mainly of agriculture products. Exports from Tanzania to UAE recorded USD 84.6 million representing 62.9 per cent of the total sent to GCC up from USD 15.5 million representing 41.16 per cent of the total sent to GCC according to independent economic studies.

Tanzania’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) especially in the Petroleum and Gas sector remains strong as several foreign establishments are focusing their attention towards the country that has become a potential investment destination. The steadily increasing trend of economic development of Tanzania in the next few years is already attracting a lot of attention, and the demand for the recognized the need for state-of-the-art storage facilities, at industry affordable costs for the wholesalers, in the region is also being addressed.

Another sector whereby UAE has invested in Tanzania is transport. Various airlines operate from the UAE to Tanzania. The Airbus 330-200 freighter that can carry up to 64 tonnes is also used for weekly ights on the Abu- Dhabi– Dar es Salaam–Nairobi– Abu-Dhabi route. Etihad Cargo is expecting in future to capitalize on the import and export demand of Tanzania by importing more manufactured items such as electronics, medical equipment and some food items to Tanzania.