Ayota speaking at Foreign Affairs retreat in Kampala this Thursday

Chimp Reports | 9 July 2026

by Giles Muhame

Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is in discussions with partners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attract investment into Uganda’s agriculture sector and position the East African country as a strategic food production hub for the Gulf nation, Managing Director Patrick Ayota said on Thursday.

Ayota said the UAE’s long-term food security strategy presents a significant investment opportunity for Uganda, whose fertile soils, favourable climate and abundant water resources make it well placed to supply food to the desert nation.

The UAE currently imports about 80% of its food and aims to reduce that dependence to 50% by 2051.

But Ayota argued that even then, half of the country’s food supply would remain exposed to global disruptions.

“I told them that even if you reduce imports from 80% to 50%, you still have 50% of your food subject to supply disruptions,” Ayota said during a retreat on economic diplomacy organised by Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Mestil Hotel in Kampala.

Instead of relying solely on imports from multiple markets, Ayota proposed that the UAE designate Uganda as one of its strategic food production bases.

“I said, why don’t you designate Uganda as the domestic food production zone? Come and invest with us as local co-investors. We can produce every seed, every food, as long as you invest with us across the value chain,” he said.

Ayota said discussions were progressing, revealing that a delegation from the UAE visited Uganda three weeks ago to explore possible partnerships.

“They now know they’ve got a partner they can work with to make this happen,” he said.

The proposal builds on rapidly expanding commercial ties between the two countries. The United Arab Emirates is Uganda’s largest export destination, accounting for more than 35% of the country’s export earnings.

Uganda exported goods worth about $2.61 billion to the UAE while importing goods valued at $1.29 billion, giving Kampala a trade surplus of more than $1.3 billion.

The trade relationship is dominated by Uganda’s exports of gold, alongside growing shipments of coffee and fish, while imports from the UAE mainly comprise refined petroleum products, cement and ethylene polymers.

Trade data also show the Middle East now absorbs more than half of Uganda’s monthly export earnings, with the UAE accounting for the overwhelming share of that regional market.

Uganda has been seeking to deepen economic ties with Gulf countries beyond trade by attracting long-term investment into agriculture, manufacturing and logistics under President Yoweri Museveni’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which aims to expand the economy to $500 billion by 2040.

Ayota said investment across agricultural value chains would not only strengthen the UAE’s food security but also create jobs, boost value addition and increase Uganda’s export earnings.