The Dubai Outreach Event for the Great Lakes Investment and Trade Conference (GLITC) took place on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at The Address Boulevard in Dubai, to shed light on key trade and investment possibilities in Africas Great Lakes region.

Organized by Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), in cooperation with Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID), the event offers a platform for investors and private sector businesses in the UAE and the Middle East to explore areas where private sector investments can make contributions to the economic development in the region.

Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Director General at Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, said: BADEA is dedicated to support the social and economic boom of Africas Great Lakes region. The event presents an essential platform for investors and private sector entities in the UAE and the Middle East explore and to better understand the possible investment activities in the economies surrounding the Great Lakes, prior to the Great Lakes Investment and Trade Conference which will take place in March this year.

H.E. Mohamed bin Obaid Al Mazrooei, Chairman of AAAID, said: The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development supports its sister organization, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, to attain sustainable monetary development in the African Great Lakes countries covering numerous areas, which includes the development side, in relation to small producers and farmers, as they constitute the biggest share in the discipline of agricultural and animal production and the agricultural sector in particular. In light of the resources that these countries have, they gain from the corporation's companies, especially in the opening of new markets and benefiting the countries via the exchange of goods and other common advantages between them and the African Great Lakes countries. This helps pave the way for the improvement of these essential areas, which in turn, contributes to attaining international sustainable development goals, whereby the eradication of hunger is one of its main objectives.

GLITC, which will be held on March 18 to 20, 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda, is a international conference dedicated to mobilizing private sector investment into the Great Lakes region, comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The conference, themed Cross-Border Investment and Trade as Catalyst for Regional Integration, will focus on promoting economic activities associated to agriculture and logistics value chains, mining, energy and services, and tourism.

The event expects over 700 participants from the government and private sector, financial institutions, improvement organizations and key players in the global investment community.

GLITC is being organized by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda. It was convened by the signatory countries of the UN-led Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement as a follow up for action to the first Private Sector Investment Conference held in 2016 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Great Lakes region is regarded as one of the richest regions in Africa when it comes to untapped natural resources, which can be developed to deliver about social and economic development in the region.

The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) was installed in 1976 to promote Arab food security. The Authority has enormous experience in the area of investment and agricultural manufacturing and offers its investors with many advantages and privileges in all member countries. The Authoritys activities are based on agricultural investment in plant, livestock and associated agricultural sectors. AAAID additionally contributes in the efforts to support sustainable agricultural improvement via income generation projects, advanced agricultural technology, scientific research services and loans.