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Med-Or Foundation attends the 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate
Med-Or Foundation attended the tenth edition of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD) from November 13-14, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, UAE
On November 13-14, 2023, Med-Or Foundation attended the 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, a foreign policy conference held by the Emirates Policy Center (EPC). During the two-days conference, several panels were held on multiple international relations’ issues such as the unfolding conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the India-Asia topic, and Gulf security.
Med-Or’s Director for International Relations Umberto Tavolato moderated a panel on “Africa, the promising continent” which included Dr. Abdulla Hamdok, former Prime Minister of Sudan, Mr. Mohamed Benaissa, former Foreign Minister of Morocco, Ms. Chipokota Mwanawasa, Policy Adviser to the President of Zambia, Dr. Abdeta Beyene, Executive Director of the Ethiopia’s Center for Dialogue and Research, and Prof. Hamdy A. Hassan, Professor at the Zayed University (UAE).
With almost 40% of the renewable resources of the world, 65% of population below 30 years old, 40% of the global workforce by 2050, and only 3% of the global trade, potential opportunities in Africa are significant. The panel discussed market potentials from West to East and Southern Africa and the role of Gulf countries in enhancing investments in Africa.
It is remarkable that, despite the unfolding conflict in the Gaza strip, countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are enhancing their strategic focus on the continent. A Saudi-Africa summit was held on November 11, with a commitment to invest 30 billion dollars in the continent in the next decade. A COP28 summit will be held in Dubai later this month, where the United Arab Emirates will launch a 4,5 billion initiative to enhance energy transition in Africa.
Stability remains key, however, for investments to succeed. One cannot underestimate the security challenges the continent is facing, from coups d’état in the Sahel to civil war in Sudan, state institutions from the Atlantic to the Red Sea have collapsed in recent months. There are no military solutions to these conflicts. Supporting dialogue and continental and regional institutional forms of governance remains, thus, fundamental.
