There is remarkable potential for the UAE to twofold its exports to African countries with metals, plastics, rubber and sugar identified as the top products offering the most untapped export potential estimated at $867.9 million, $457.9 million and $291.7 million, respectively.

The UAE's exports to African countries have noted strong growth over the past decade, reinforced by a number of key trends and factors such as increasing UAE-Africa trade links, Dubai’s ongoing efforts to enhance its position as a gateway to African markets and improving economic conditions across the continent.

The outcomes specify that the UAE’s exports of certain products, such as electrical devices, machinery, and vehicles, have exceeded their export potential to the African continent, which is an pointer of the development of trade links between UAE exporters and African markets.

The highest African markets proposing the most unexploited potential to import metals, plastics and rubber products from the UAE include, Kenya with an estimated untapped potential of $88.2 million, Egypt with $81.3 million, Nigeria $73.3 million, Ethiopia $35.5 million and Tanzania $ 63.6 million.

It has been reported that Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), the export-financing arm of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have recently signed a USD 30 million (AED 110.19 million) line of credit agreement with the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) to boost trade between the UAE and the Bank's Member States. The partnership is said to be the first of its kind to be signed by ADEX with a foreign financial institution.

The contract reflects the proactive role ADEX plays to support the UAE to diversify its economy, while proposing many benefits to its partners. It is also associated with TDB's role in intermediating global and regional capital to drive impact in the Member States it serves. In that spirit, the partnership will give much necessary support to both exporters and importers at a time when the global economy is facing challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With Mining sector in Mozambique well-placed to take advantage of this market boom, with mining operations already expanding across Gaza, Manica, Cabo Delgado, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Tete and Zambezia.

Furthermore to raw mineral extraction, the sector is able to open up prospects to suppliers across the value chain, in providing mining and refinery equipment, maintenance services and machinery and automation equipment. In the production of coal, of which the country holds some of the largest untouched deposits globally, service providers will find room to grow operations through improved provision of coal-mining equipment and railway logistics services.

As a result, Mozambique grips extensive chances to add in-country value to mining operations together with the establishment of cement plants, gas-processing plants and alumina refineries to diversify national economies and upsurge to downstream industries.

Mozambique as well as Tanzania and Madagascar holds considerable quantities of graphite, which is used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries.