emirates7 - Taye Atske-Selassie, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and guest of honour at AIM Congress 2026, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and the UAE government and people for their generous hospitality and warm welcome.
In his address to AIM Congress, President Taye said the rapid transformations taking place in the global economy, technological developments and the reshaping of global value and supply chains require countries of the Global South, particularly in Africa, to strengthen their ability to shape their own future and build stable and inclusive partnerships based on mutual benefit.
He said Ethiopia and Africa offer promising investment opportunities across five key sectors: clean energy, agriculture, critical minerals, infrastructure and strategic corridors, and human capital. He stressed the importance of harnessing these opportunities to support industrial transformation, sustainable development and greater economic integration across the continent.
President Taye said Ethiopia has renewable energy potential of around 60,000 megawatts and aims to reach 13,000 megawatts by 2030, while allocating around 1,000 megawatts to data centres and mining projects, enhancing the country's attractiveness for investment linked to the digital economy.
He noted that Ethiopia has successfully transformed from a wheat-importing country into Africa's largest wheat producer, highlighting opportunities for international investment in agro-processing, packaging and re-export, as well as coffee, avocados, sesame and livestock.
He also highlighted Africa's significant potential in critical minerals, stressing the importance of developing the sector in line with sustainable development principles and increasing local value addition to help build more balanced and sustainable global value chains.
President Taye reviewed the role of infrastructure and strategic corridors in strengthening African economic integration, noting that the African Continental Free Trade Area brings together a market of around 1.3 billion people with a combined gross domestic product exceeding US$3.4 trillion.
He also highlighted major projects being implemented by Ethiopia, including a US$12.5 billion international airport project designed to handle 110 million passengers and around 4 million tonnes of cargo annually.
The Ethiopian President said Africa's young population represents a strategic asset for development and innovation. He expressed his country's appreciation for the UAE's role in supporting human development in Ethiopia, particularly through the “5 Million Coders” initiative.
President Taye reaffirmed Ethiopia's openness to business and investment and its readiness to build sustainable, high-value partnerships with investors who believe in Africa's future and potential. He called for stronger international partnerships that contribute to building a future of prosperity and development for all.
For his part, Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AIM International, said that the launch of the AIM Investment Summit 2026 comes amid the accelerating movement of global capital towards new markets and investment opportunities capable of generating transformative impact and sustainable value.
He added that the summit brings together decision-makers, investors, capital managers, corporate leaders and innovators over three days to identify the next global growth zones, assess the evolving investment landscape and pinpoint promising sectors and markets.
In his address to AIM Congress, President Taye said the rapid transformations taking place in the global economy, technological developments and the reshaping of global value and supply chains require countries of the Global South, particularly in Africa, to strengthen their ability to shape their own future and build stable and inclusive partnerships based on mutual benefit.
He said Ethiopia and Africa offer promising investment opportunities across five key sectors: clean energy, agriculture, critical minerals, infrastructure and strategic corridors, and human capital. He stressed the importance of harnessing these opportunities to support industrial transformation, sustainable development and greater economic integration across the continent.
President Taye said Ethiopia has renewable energy potential of around 60,000 megawatts and aims to reach 13,000 megawatts by 2030, while allocating around 1,000 megawatts to data centres and mining projects, enhancing the country's attractiveness for investment linked to the digital economy.
He noted that Ethiopia has successfully transformed from a wheat-importing country into Africa's largest wheat producer, highlighting opportunities for international investment in agro-processing, packaging and re-export, as well as coffee, avocados, sesame and livestock.
He also highlighted Africa's significant potential in critical minerals, stressing the importance of developing the sector in line with sustainable development principles and increasing local value addition to help build more balanced and sustainable global value chains.
President Taye reviewed the role of infrastructure and strategic corridors in strengthening African economic integration, noting that the African Continental Free Trade Area brings together a market of around 1.3 billion people with a combined gross domestic product exceeding US$3.4 trillion.
He also highlighted major projects being implemented by Ethiopia, including a US$12.5 billion international airport project designed to handle 110 million passengers and around 4 million tonnes of cargo annually.
The Ethiopian President said Africa's young population represents a strategic asset for development and innovation. He expressed his country's appreciation for the UAE's role in supporting human development in Ethiopia, particularly through the “5 Million Coders” initiative.
President Taye reaffirmed Ethiopia's openness to business and investment and its readiness to build sustainable, high-value partnerships with investors who believe in Africa's future and potential. He called for stronger international partnerships that contribute to building a future of prosperity and development for all.
For his part, Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AIM International, said that the launch of the AIM Investment Summit 2026 comes amid the accelerating movement of global capital towards new markets and investment opportunities capable of generating transformative impact and sustainable value.
He added that the summit brings together decision-makers, investors, capital managers, corporate leaders and innovators over three days to identify the next global growth zones, assess the evolving investment landscape and pinpoint promising sectors and markets.
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