Luanda - The Angolan minister for Agriculture and Forestry, António Francisco de Assis, on Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) presented the agricultural potential and agribusiness opportunities in Angola, with a view to attracting new investments from Arab businesspeople.
According to a press release from the Angolan embassy in the UAE, sent to ANGOP Thursday, the demonstration of business opportunities in the agricultural sector was made during the meetings that the Angolan minister held with Arab investors, as part of the cooperation protocol and existing relations with this Middle Eastern country.
At the occasion, the minister also presented the Angolan government´s projects related to large-scale cultivation of agricultural products, with emphasis on grain production and fruit growing for its processing and export as well as the inclusion of rural communities in the entire production chain.
António Francisco de Assis, who is on a working visit to the UAE from 28 December 2022 to 3 January 2023, had his first meeting with the chairman of the board of directors of the International Humanitarian City (IHC), Mohamed Al Dhaheri, and the head of the Al Dahra Group, Sulaiman Rashed Al Nuaimi.
IHC is a global hub based in Dubai, while Al Dahra Group is a leading multinational agribusiness specialising in the cultivation and marketing of animal feed and essential foodstuffs such as rice, fruits and vegetables, operating in more than 20 countries and over 45 markets in Asia and the Middle East.
In the same day, the Angolan minister met with the head of the Elite Agro Group, Chandra Singh, a centre of excellence focused on quality in agricultural practices and certifications, which was set up in 2010 and is recognised across the region as one of the main local producers and distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Angola and the United Arab Emirates have four memorandums which were signed at the end of December 2021, during the visit of President João Lourenço to that country.
Among the documents are the Memorandum of Understanding between Presight.AI Company and the Angolan Government, which aims to implement the Digital Transformation Programme (Digital Angola 2024); the Memorandum between EDGE Group for the cooperation and exploration of opportunities in the most varied fields; the Memorandum for Cooperation in the Transport Sector and the Memorandum for Cooperation between MASDAR (Abu Dhabi Energy Company) and the Ministry of Energy and Water (MINEA), aiming at exploring the possibility of implementing a solar energy and energy storage programme in Angola.
At the time of the Angolan Head of State´s visit, several businesspeople from the United Arab Emirates linked to agriculture had shown interest in establishing partnerships with Angolan counterparts in Abu Dhabi so they can invest in avocado and Arabica coffee production in Angola.
