According to the official Emirates News Agency, trade between the UAE and Zimbabwe has surged by 300 percent in the last three years.

Three years ago, annual bilateral commerce between the African country and the UAE was 400 million USD. According to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, it will increase to 1.6 billion USD in 2021

'Our relations with the UAE are rapidly improving in all areas,' Mnangagwa said, adding that the UAE is now Zimbabwe's second-largest commercial partner.

In recent years, the UAE has considerably increased its economic impact on the African continent. DP World, a Dubai-based logistics company, announced last year that it would invest more than 1 billion USD on infrastructure across Africa over the next few years.

Last year, the UAE became Africa's fourth-largest investor. According to the Dubai-based business news source Zawya, recent investments have included electricity generating in Algeria and digitalization efforts.

At Expo 2020 in Dubai, the African Union will have a pavilion. Climate resilience, boosting women in business, infrastructure, and other topics are all addressed in the pavilion. At the expo this week, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid signed trade and investment deals with Mnangagwa as well as the leaders of Botswana and Mauritius.