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The Ethiopian News Agency reported that President Taye Atske Selassie held talks with Ali Bin Abdullatif Al Misnad, a board member of the Qatar Chamber, while both attended the Annual Investment Meeting Congress in Dubai. Discussions centred on ways to increase Qatari involvement in Ethiopian investment opportunities, with particular emphasis on agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure development, consulting services and related fields. President Taye detailed reforms introduced by the Ethiopian government to build a more attractive environment for foreign investors and pressed for stronger trade and investment bonds between the two countries.
Al Misnad told the meeting that Qatari investors have expressed interest in precisely those areas, including health, agriculture, infrastructure, digital services and consulting. The Qatar Chamber board member added that his organisation would promote these opportunities among its members to help realise greater collaboration. According to the Ethiopian News Agency, the encounter took place as the congress, running from September 7 to 9 under the theme of reshaping global prosperity through sustainable pathways, drew thousands of participants from across the globe.
United Nations COMTRADE data compiled by Trading Economics shows Qatar exported goods worth $719,160 to Ethiopia in 2024, a figure that underscores the limited scale of current bilateral trade both sides now seek to enlarge. Ethiopian officials have pursued a series of measures in recent years, including liberalising key sectors and offering incentives, to draw overseas capital. Earlier discussions, such as the 2023 meeting in Doha between Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani and Ethiopian foreign minister Mesganu Arga, similarly examined prospects for joint business forums and cooperation in agriculture, energy and tourism.
The Ethiopian Investment Commission has highlighted ongoing efforts to create a business-friendly climate through regulatory improvements and private-sector engagement, according to statements from its commissioner in February 2025. Qatar maintains a diversified set of engagements across East Africa, with notable infrastructure and agricultural projects in several nations, although its largest single commitment in the region lies in Rwanda where Qatar Airways is involved in airport development. Relations between Ethiopia and Qatar date back to the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1995, with successive high-level visits focused on expanding economic partnership.
AIM Congress organisers have positioned the 2026 edition as a platform for forging cross-border networks, with more than 25,000 participants from 191 countries and over 540 speakers addressing investment trends. President Taye served as guest of honour at the opening, where discussions touched on Ethiopia’s reform agenda and its potential as an investment destination. The Qatar Chamber has previously committed to facilitating visits by its members to assess opportunities first-hand, building on expressions of interest voiced in multiple prior meetings.
Ethiopian authorities continue to prioritise foreign direct investment in sectors that support economic diversification and job creation, the Ethiopian News Agency noted in its coverage of the September 8 meeting. Al Misnad reiterated the chamber’s readiness to match Qatari capital with Ethiopian projects that align with both countries’ development goals. Separate engagements in 2024 and 2025 between Ethiopian ministers and Qatari counterparts produced agreements to schedule political consultations and tailored investment forums.
