UAE and Senegal note expansion of diplomatic and trade relations

Ousmane Sonko, the Prime Minister of Senegal, came to the UAE on a high-profile official tour on September 7. He is expected to remain in the country until September 12. The mission is going to target a number of cooperation areas.

On September 11, UAE’s Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, and PM Sonko engaged in detailed discussions on bilateral relations.

Both sides also addressed opportunities to better expand cooperation in areas of common interest for the benefit of the UAE and Senegal and their peoples. The meeting also noted a range of issues of mutual concern.

Strengthening of UAE-Senegal bilateral partnerships

Senegal’s PM Ousmane Sonko is in the UAE until September 12. The mission focuses on a number of areas, including modern infrastructure, smart city construction, clean energy, agricultural processing and vocational training.

These sectors are going to be quite instrumental in strengthening UAE-Senegal bilateral partnerships. In recent decades, both countries have steadily expanded relations, taking things from humanitarian aid in the 1970s to broad cooperation in strategic fields.

Some of the most prominent projects include the management of Senegal’s capital Dakar’s container terminal, fundings in solar projects, innovation programmes, youth training, and judicial and security cooperation.

Ousmane Sonko’s high-profile trip to UAE

The UAE and Senegal are also nothing a rapid expansion in trade relations. It has been reported that imports from the UAE rose from $174 million in 2019 to $668.5 million in 2023, mainly machinery, equipment and refined hydrocarbons.

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s high-profile trip to the UAE comes as Senegal’s leadership focuses on an industrialisation drive, centered on processing agricultural resources, expanding industrial infrastructure and boosting energy production.

The UAE-Senegal economic relations date back to the mid-1970s. In the beginning, the ties mainly concerned humanitarian aid. But later on, the focus also shifted to trade and direct investment. Currently, both countries are linked by economic agreements and more.