Uganda Opens Pearl of Africa Trade Expo in Malaysia, Eyes $5B Investment Boost
Uganda has officially launched the Pearl of Africa Business Forum and Trade Expo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with a bold goal of attracting up to $5 billion in investment over the next five years.
The high-level Ugandan delegation is led by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and includes key figures such as Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, Minister for Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Betty Bigombe, and Uganda Chamber of Commerce President Olive Kigongo, among others.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Malaysian Chemical Industries Council Executive Director Hon. Yang Bhg Muhtar Hashim praised the initiative and highlighted Malaysia’s eagerness to explore trade opportunities with Uganda.
Minister Kasaija promoted Uganda’s investor-friendly legal framework and stable macroeconomic environment. Meanwhile, Energy Minister Nankabirwa emphasized Uganda’s strategy of value addition, especially in the oil, gas, and minerals sector. “We don’t export raw materials anymore. We want investors in processing — from iron ore to gold,” she said.
Ambassador Bigombe described the expo as a bridge between Uganda and Malaysia, showcasing Uganda’s youthful population, natural resource wealth, and strategic access to the East African Community (EAC) and COMESA markets — totaling over 300 million consumers.
Under the theme “Unlocking Uganda’s Business Potential,” the expo focuses on five priority sectors: agro-industrialization, tourism, oil and gas, science and technology, and mineral development. Highlights include the promotion of investment-ready projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), Hoima Oil Refinery, and eco-tourism lodges in national parks like Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley.
Bigombe also promoted Uganda Investment Authority’s one-stop investor support center and generous incentives such as tax holidays, customs exemptions, and 100% foreign ownership in most sectors.
The two-day forum has drawn significant interest from private investors across both Uganda and Malaysia, laying the groundwork for deeper bilateral economic cooperation.