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Namibia calls for value addition in trade with UAE
By Maggie Forcelledo Paz
The minister of foreign trade of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, undertook a two-day official working visit to Namibia from 17 to 18 February 2026, accompanied by senior representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the UAE Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Ports, International Resources Holding, Etihad Water and Electricity, Air Arabia and Global South Utilities, amongst others. As part of the bilateral engagement programme, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) hosted a high-level Namibia–UAE Business Forum in Windhoek that brought together business leaders and enterprises from both countries to discuss investment opportunities and explore areas of mutual interest and cooperation aimed at strengthening trade and economic ties between Namibia and the UAE.
In her opening remarks, Jessica Hauuanga, NIPDB’s acting CEO, reflected on the historical significance of the two countries’ relationship, noting that the NIPDB’s first national mandate upon its inception five years ago was coordinating Namibia’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“We remain grateful of the significant support extended by the UAE government, which enabled Namibia to proudly showcase its culture, diverse talents as well as trade and investment opportunities on the global platform,” said Hauuanga. “With one of our leading beef producers having secured Halaal certification recently, Namibia is strategically positioned to introduce its premium beef to the UAE market. This will further create new economic opportunities and strategic partnerships for importers, distributors and retail partners in the UAE seeking to do business with Namibia,” she added.
During a courtesy call to the Ministry of International Relations and Trade (MIRT), Minister Selma AshipalaMusavyi highlighted Namibia’s key development priorities under the administration of President Netumbo NandiNdaitwah. These priorities include agriculture, sports, youth empowerment, quality education and training, the creative industry, health and social welfare, as well as land, housing and sanitation.
She added that these sectors are supported by strategic industries such as energy, oil and gas, mining, green hydrogen and tourism, which the government aims to leverage to drive economic growth and development.
Diversifying the trade basket
Latest trade statistics from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) show that Namibia’s exports to the UAE are dominated by diamonds and minerals, while imports from the UAE are dominated by fuel and petroleum products. However, the minister called for a decisive move towards value addition and diversification opportunities to promote Namibia’s agricultural products such as beef and other meat products to the UAE markets as well as cooperation in agro-processing, irrigation technology and food value chains.
The minister further stated that, while diamonds and gold have the greatest export potential to the UAE, Namibia’s diversified export products include dried and shelled lentils, frozen bone-in lamb cuts and jewellery made of precious metals. “We invite the UAE to explore investment in Namibia’s diamond cutting and polishing industry, and also to form joint ventures to increase value addition before exports,” she added.
Logistics hub
A major highlight of the talks was Namibia’s emergence as a regional gateway. With the deepening of the port of Walvis Bay and the automation of its container terminal, Namibia has successfully positioned itself as a logistics hub for landlocked neighbours.
The minister proposed collaboration between Namibia and the UAE to further develop:
- Aviation and port infrastructure
- Transport corridors
- Energy technology
Highlighting the UAE’s approach to economic growth through trade, logistics and market expansion, Dr Al Zeyoudi stressed the need for strong government-togovernment frameworks that build confidence in the private sector. He noted, however, that current trade and investment figures between the two countries do not yet reflect their full potential and called for practical followthrough. Dr Al Zeyoudi also said that the UAE is interested in exploring investment protection and double taxation agreements to create a more predictable and enabling environment for investors.
To turn discussions into concrete outcomes, Namibia has proposed the creation of a Joint Economic Commission with the UAE, aimed at facilitating technology and skills transfer to directly support Namibia’s manufacturing capacity.
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