Thursday, 15 December 2022, was D-day for various business persons from far and near to gather in Dubai to see what Cameroon offers to the world in terms of investment opportunities. Organised by Cameroon’s Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) in partnership with Dubai Consultancy under the theme “Invest in Cameroon, Land of Opportunities, the “Cameroon Investment Week” officially launched on 13 December 2022, provides a platform for Cameroonian State and private companies to network with their counterparts and investors of the UAE.

Participants were welcomed to the world-class B2B networking meeting held at the JAFTA One Convention Centre by H.E. Walid Hareb Alfalahi, Chief Executive Officer of the United Arab Emirates Trade Centre and Dubai Consultancy. Mr. Walid presented a firsthand account of Cameroon’s potential as an investment destination and himself promised to invest in Cameroon before inviting others to do the same. He mentioned that “Cameroon and by extension Africa is the only place where today’s businesses can scale up into mega businesses” given the great potential and the youthfulness of its population.

Delivering his remarks on building investment bridges with Cameroon, the S.G. of the UAEIIC, H.E. Jamal Saif Al Jarwan, started by thanking the organisers before moving on to present the activities of the UAEIIC. The organisation was mainly charged with diversifying revenue sources so as not to solely depend on petroleum products and to look into investing overseas. “Success breeds success. For us to succeed, we need firm rules and regulations, transparency and the protection of our investments”.

His intervention was shortly followed by that of H.E. Iya Tidjani, Ambassador of Cameroon to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to the Gulf Countries. Emphasis this time was laid on the measures put in place by the Cameroonian Government to protect foreign investments. Inviting potential partners to see the possibilities of doing business in Cameroon, a sector-by-sector account of its potential ranging from port facilities to infrastructure, telecommunication, logistics, digital transformation, local development and of course agriculture was made. “Cameroon has vast lands of fertile soil. This is a key resource for its sustainability even after all other resources must have been depleted. This event is therefore an opportunity for you all to see Cameroon through a different looking glass, especially with the advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, he concluded.

The different presentations by some local companies and other exchanges (B2B, G2B) ensued to cement all what had already been highlighted. Participants were remarkably amazed at the different openings and partnerships that could be created. This event is definitely a leap in Cameroon’s move towards meeting the Head of State’s 2035 NDS and a good start of a business relationship between the UAE and Cameroon.