UAE to Host First-Ever UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit in Dubai, October 27, 2025

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Dubai will host the inaugural UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit on October 27, 2025, as part of FHS World 2025, the Future Hospitality Summit that connects global hospitality and investment leaders. The initiative, led by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism in partnership with event organizer The Bench, aims to deepen tourism and infrastructure cooperation between the UAE and African nations.

An essential component of the UAE’s “We the UAE 2031” vision, the Summit seeks to drive sustainable development by enabling strategic public-private partnerships in tourism, hospitality, and related services. A signed MoU between the Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary, Badreya Al Maidoor, and The Bench’s Portfolio Director, Daria Smith, underlines the high-level commitment to the initiative.

The Summit will attract over 250 top-tier participants from 53 African countries, including tourism ministers, investment promotion agency leaders, government officials, and private sector investors. The representation across the continent underscores the UAE’s role as a trusted investment gateway into Africa’s growing markets.

Jonathan Worsley, CEO of The Bench, said the partnership aims to “accelerate investment and development across Africa’s hospitality sector,” noting the UAE’s longstanding role as a bridge between global capital and emerging economies.

This Summit will create a premier platform for high-level dialogue, deal-making, and showcasing investment-ready opportunities in both markets—strengthening economic ties and creating long-term value across continents.