• Ousmane Sonko starts a five-day official visit to Abu Dhabi on September 7
• Talks to focus on infrastructure, smart cities, renewables, and agriculture
• UAE-Senegal trade rose to $668.5 million in 2023, led by refined hydrocarbons

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, September 7, for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates that will run until Friday, September 12, 2025.

The mission is expected to cover a range of cooperation areas, including modern infrastructure development, smart city construction, renewable energy, agricultural processing, and vocational training. These sectors are considered central to strengthening the partnership between Dakar and Abu Dhabi.

Senegal and the UAE have steadily expanded relations over decades, evolving from humanitarian aid in the 1970s to broad cooperation in strategic fields. Key projects include management of Dakar’s container terminal, construction of the deep-water port at Ndayane, investments in solar and hydropower, innovation initiatives, youth training, and judicial and security cooperation. The partnership also extends to education, with scholarships to the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi.

Trade ties have grown rapidly. According to Senegal’s National Agency of Statistics and Demography, imports from the UAE rose from $174 million in 2019 to $668.5 million in 2023, mainly refined hydrocarbons, equipment, and machinery.

The visit comes as Senegal’s new leadership pursues an industrialization drive, centered on processing agricultural resources, expanding industrial infrastructure, boosting energy production, and advancing technology.