Mozambique, UAE Push Toward Trade Deal With Energy and Logistics at Core

Mozambique and the United Arab Emirates resumed talks on concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), in a meeting that placed agro-industry, energy, ports, and tourism among the priority investment areas. The engagement seeks to deepen a relationship that already includes Emirati capital in Rovuma basin gas and Maputo port logistics.

Minister of Economy Basílio Muhate met with UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi on Sunday, 1 November, in Turkey. According to information released by the Ministry of Economy, discussions covered the conclusion of the CEPA and opportunities in food security, industrial processing, energy, ports, logistics, and tourism.

On tourism specifically, the two officials examined ways to attract Emirati investors, hotel groups, and tour operators, including possibilities for strengthening air links, professional training, and the development of Mozambican tourist destinations. The information released on the meeting does not announce the signing of the agreement nor quantify any new investment commitments.

Negotiations Continue Contacts from January and February

The meeting extends an agenda developed throughout the year. In January, during President Daniel Chapo's visit to Abu Dhabi, the two countries held a business roundtable dedicated to sectors including energy, agriculture, transport, finance, and technology.

In February, Muhate and the UAE ambassador in Maputo returned to the topic of CEPA negotiations, investment protection instruments, and the organisation of a bilateral business forum. The possibility of a memorandum of understanding on tourism was also discussed.

The economic outcome of this rapprochement will depend on the conditions ultimately agreed and their translation into business operations. The most recent announcement keeps the process at the negotiating stage, without yet presenting a final text, an entry-into-force timeline, or specific trade concessions.

Non-Oil Trade Reached US$1.7 Billion in Nine Months

Data released by the UAE points to an expansion in bilateral trade. In January 2026, Al Zeyoudi indicated that non-oil bilateral trade had reached approximately US$1.7 billion between January and September 2025, up 57.8% on the same period a year earlier. The minister noted that the figure already exceeded the full-year 2024 total by more than US$300 million.

A separate data series published by Dubai Chambers allows the evolution of ties with Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, to be tracked. Non-oil trade with Mozambique rose from 3.1 billion dirhams in 2023 to 4.6 billion dirhams in 2024. The institution reported growth of 47%, calculated on unrounded figures.

Business engagement has also deepened: in April 2025, a Dubai Chamber of Commerce mission to Maputo facilitated 356 company-to-company meetings. At the end of the first quarter of that year, 89 Mozambican companies were registered as active members of the chamber.

Gas and Ports Already Materialise Emirati Presence

In the energy sector, XRG, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), completed in March 2025 the acquisition of Galp's 10% stake in Area 4 of the Rovuma basin. The transaction placed the Emirati group inside a concession that includes the Coral Sul FLNG facility and the Coral Norte and Rovuma LNG development projects.

In logistics, DP World holds a shareholding in the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC). The concession was extended to 2058, accompanied by a US$2.06 billion investment plan across the concessionaire as a whole — a figure that represents the MPDC's programme and not exclusively Emirati investment.

These assets give concrete grounding to the new round of talks. The agenda now under discussion seeks to extend the relationship to industrial transformation, food security, and tourism — activities in which the arrival of capital could also generate demand for local suppliers and services.

To assess results, the next milestones will be the conclusion of the CEPA, the publication of its terms, and the announcement of projects with defined financing, sponsors, and timelines.

Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=557825