With projects costing an estimated $47 billion, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is by far the biggest and most active regional participant in East Africa. This makes the UAE the fourth-biggest provider of capital in Africa, behind the US, China, and the EU. It also contributes to about 60% of all capital inflows beyond the Gulf region into East Africa.
Additionally, the UAE stands out for the scope of its participation, managing to make active investments in all 12 African jurisdictions in the region as well as in all six sectors taken into take into account: energy, mining, port development, infrastructure, agriculture, and security. For instance, the UAE has businesses in Tanzania, Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland.
The East African nation with the greatest volume and breadth of regional interaction is Sudan, where all of the regional actors take into account have some degree of economic involvement. The fact that the majority are allegedly providing weapons to the rebels in Sudan further raises the stakes, but specific numbers for these security pledges are not easily accessible.
With investments in nine out of the twelve East African nations, Turkey is becoming a more important player in the region. Despite not being in the Gulf, Turkey has participated in the Gulf States' activities. Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Tanzania are the main regions in which Turkey is involved; in Tanzania, it is the most active regional actor. With security projects in eight of the nine nations where it has engagements, Turkey stands out for its emphasis on East African security.