Speaking at the UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit in Dubai on 6 November 2025, Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri announced a landmark US $6 billion financing package aimed at accelerating tourism-related projects across more than 20 African countries. The funds—channelled through sovereign wealth vehicles, development banks and private-equity partners—will target airport upgrades, hospitality developments, digital booking platforms and skills-training academies.
The initiative reflects two converging trends: Africa recorded the world’s fastest tourism growth rate in 2024 (UN WTO data), while UAE investors, airlines and hotel groups seek to diversify beyond saturated Middle-East markets. Projects identified under the new scheme include a greenfield eco-resort on Zanzibar’s east coast, terminal expansions at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and a pan-African e-visa interoperability pilot modelled on Dubai’s smart-gate system.
![UAE Commits US $6 Billion to Boost Africa’s Tourism Infrastructure]()
Officials project that the investments will create at least 70,000 direct jobs and unlock a further US $3.5 billion in follow-on capital. For UAE-based multinationals, the programme promises smoother employee mobility into frontier markets: better airport capacity, more nonstop flights operated by Emirates and Etihad partner airlines, and the potential for mutual recognition of digital travel credentials.
Corporate relocation teams should note that several host countries plan to introduce fast-track investor visas modelled on the UAE’s Golden Visa, with minimum thresholds set between US $200,000 and US $500,000. Companies eyeing project work in Africa’s hospitality or infrastructure sectors may therefore be able to secure long-term residency for key staff, reducing rotation costs.
The summit communiqué framed the partnership as part of a “South-South tourism corridor” that aligns with the UAE’s NextGen FDI strategy and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Deliverables will be monitored through a joint task force that meets quarterly in Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa.
The initiative reflects two converging trends: Africa recorded the world’s fastest tourism growth rate in 2024 (UN WTO data), while UAE investors, airlines and hotel groups seek to diversify beyond saturated Middle-East markets. Projects identified under the new scheme include a greenfield eco-resort on Zanzibar’s east coast, terminal expansions at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and a pan-African e-visa interoperability pilot modelled on Dubai’s smart-gate system.
Officials project that the investments will create at least 70,000 direct jobs and unlock a further US $3.5 billion in follow-on capital. For UAE-based multinationals, the programme promises smoother employee mobility into frontier markets: better airport capacity, more nonstop flights operated by Emirates and Etihad partner airlines, and the potential for mutual recognition of digital travel credentials.
Corporate relocation teams should note that several host countries plan to introduce fast-track investor visas modelled on the UAE’s Golden Visa, with minimum thresholds set between US $200,000 and US $500,000. Companies eyeing project work in Africa’s hospitality or infrastructure sectors may therefore be able to secure long-term residency for key staff, reducing rotation costs.
The summit communiqué framed the partnership as part of a “South-South tourism corridor” that aligns with the UAE’s NextGen FDI strategy and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Deliverables will be monitored through a joint task force that meets quarterly in Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa.
