Gabon strengthens trade ties with United Arab Emirates

Gabon has emerged as a strategic partner in the United Arab Emirates’ commercial expansion across Africa. Following a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in February 2026, non-oil trade between the two nations reached approximately 176.5 billion FCFA (about 320.7 million USD) in 2025, more than doubling the value recorded in 2021.

Gabon’s exports to the UAE include manganese, timber, forest products, rubber, coffee, and cocoa. The partnership aligns with Gabon’s Transformation Acceleration Plan (PAT), which aims to diversify the economy by attracting foreign direct investment into mining, agribusiness, logistics, and renewable energy through the removal of customs barriers.

By leveraging the UAE’s global logistics network, Gabon intends to transition from exporting raw materials to local processing. This includes a strategic goal to transform manganese locally, supported by a planned ban on raw manganese exports by 2029, as the country seeks to become a logistics hub on the central African Atlantic coast.