
UAE hailed as role model for Africa's integrated development: Tunisia Africa Business Council
In her statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the "Africa Trade and Investment Forum" in Tunis, Yaich emphasised that the UAE plays a central role in supporting comprehensive development across numerous African countries.
She highlighted the importance of this role in enhancing partnerships with local stakeholders across the continent and directing support toward community-based projects that contribute to developing innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurship.
Tunis is hosting the FITA 2025 on May 6 and 7, with ministerial delegations and representatives from several African nations, including the Congo, Nigeria, and Algeria, showcasing investment opportunities.
The forum features the participation of international financial institutions, over 1,000 business meetings, and a comprehensive exhibition. It is considered the largest investment event in Africa this year.
Yaich also stressed the importance of deepening cooperation between Tunisia and the UAE on the African continent. She noted that the Tunisia Africa Business Council could play a pivotal role in this context by organising joint business missions, creating platforms for knowledge and expertise exchange, and encouraging joint investments in developmental projects. These efforts, she explained, would build trust and open new avenues for tripartite cooperation between Tunisia, the UAE, and Africa.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Zawya
16 minutes ago
- Zawya
Qatar's Minister Of Labor Pays Courtesy Visit To Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, Reaffirms Bilateral Cooperation
The Minister of Labor of the State of Qatar, Dr. Ali Bin Sammikh Marri, paid a courtesy call on His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio at State House in Freetown, reaffirming his country's commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with Sierra Leone, particularly in the areas of labor and employment. Introducing the visiting delegation, Sierra Leone's Minister of Labor and Employment, Mr. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, informed the President that the Qatari Minister was on an official visit to explore ways to expand collaboration between the two nations' labor sectors. 'Your Excellency, I am pleased to introduce my counterpart, the Minister of Labor from Qatar, who is here to engage with us on strategic collaboration and deepen the ties between our two ministries,' Minister Swaray stated. In his remarks, Dr. Ali Bin Sammikh Marri thanked President Bio for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation. He recounted his early academic exposure to Sierra Leone more than 30 years ago, noting with delight that he had finally visited the country he once studied. 'It is a pleasure to be in Sierra Leone,' he said. 'Over 30 years ago, as a student, I was asked to write about Sierra Leone. Today, I am here in person, as Qatar's Minister of Labor, to explore collaboration, especially in labor market policies. With Your Excellency now serving as Chairman of ECOWAS, we see an opportunity to align with your leadership in regional labor development and cooperation.' Minister Marri also conveyed a message of congratulations on behalf of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to President Bio on his recent election as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. 'I bring you fraternal greetings and congratulations from your brother, the Emir of Qatar, on your recent appointment. We appreciate your hospitality and look forward to strengthening our bilateral ties,' he concluded. In his response, President Bio warmly welcomed the Qatari Labor Minister and expressed appreciation for the visit and message from the Emir of Qatar. He noted that it was particularly meaningful that Dr. Marri, after writing about Sierra Leone three decades ago, was now visiting the country as a high-level representative of Qatar. 'Thank you very much for visiting. On behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone, we welcome you,' President Bio said. 'We have had a growing relationship with Qatar and look forward to expanding cooperation, especially in agriculture, education, and the digital economy, areas where we are investing heavily and seeing meaningful progress.' President Bio also welcomed the opportunity to explore broader labor collaboration across the ECOWAS region during his tenure as Chairman and emphasized the importance of leveraging international partnerships to advance a common African interest. 'It is an exciting moment to lead ECOWAS, and I see it as an opportunity to further engage the international community on shared priorities for West Africa,' he concluded. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.


Zawya
16 minutes ago
- Zawya
Ripple expands global custody footprint into Middle East with Ctrl Alt
Dubai, UAE — Ripple, the leading provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, has today announced a strategic partnership with Ctrl Alt, a leading tokenization infrastructure platform. The partnership sees Ctrl Alt using Ripple's institutional-grade digital asset custody technology to support the Dubai Land Department's (DLD) pioneering Real Estate Tokenization Project by delivering scalable and secure storage for Dubai's tokenized real estate title deeds, which are being issued on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Ctrl Alt, which announced its involvement in the DLD project last month, becomes Ripple's first major custody partner in the UAE, underscoring the growing demand for secure, compliant digital asset infrastructure in the region. Ripple's expanding global custody network now includes clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. 'The Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Tokenization Project is a perfect example of the type of forward-thinking, innovative initiative that is positioning Dubai at the heart of the global digital asset industry,' said Reece Merrick, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, at Ripple. 'This is the first time a government real estate registration authority in the Middle East has tokenized property title deeds on a public blockchain. That the DLD has chosen the XRPL for this is really exciting and reinforces the XRPL's credentials as the blockchain of choice for serious financial use cases. We're delighted that Ctrl Alt has chosen our institutional-grade digital asset custody technology to support the delivery of this project.' Ctrl Alt recently secured its VASP license from VARA, becoming the first VASP authorized to conduct Issuer-related services. This regulatory milestone formally connects token issuance with custody of real-world assets, enabling a compliant tokenization process, from asset issuance to secure custody, on-chain settlement, and lifecycle management. 'As the tokenization infrastructure provider for the DLD Project, Ctrl Alt brings deep expertise in financial engineering and digital asset infrastructure, so it makes sense for us to partner with Ripple to use their custody technology to support this initiative,' said Matt Ong, CEO and Founder, Ctrl Alt. 'Partnering with Ripple allows us to leverage proven and trusted technology that meets the highest security and operational standards. We're excited to work with them and bring Dubai real estate investment opportunities to a wider audience.' The DLD Real Estate Tokenization Project represents a significant milestone for asset tokenization and property investment in Dubai. With this move, Dubai is leading the charge toward a more accessible, transparent and efficient real estate market, broadening investor participation and enhancing operational efficiency. Through the tokenization of title deeds, it also enables fractional ownership of real estate, allowing multiple investors to co-own a single property. Ripple has experienced significant positive momentum in the UAE since becoming the first blockchain-enabled payments provider to be licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) earlier this year. In addition to establishing partnerships with Zand Bank, which is also partnering with the DLD project, and Mamo who will utilize Ripple's blockchain-enabled cross-border payments solution, Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD was recently approved as a recognised crypto token by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) for use within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Due to its simple, secure, compliant digital asset infrastructure, Ripple is well-positioned to provide the core services that financial institutions need to store, exchange and move digital assets. Ripple has over a decade of experience in the digital asset space and holds 60+ regulatory licenses and registrations in various jurisdictions, including its DFSA license, which was granted in March 2025. About Ripple Ripple is the leading provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions—delivering simple, compliant, reliable software that unlocks efficiencies, reduces friction, and enhances innovation in global finance. Ripple's solutions leverage the XRP Ledger and its native digital asset, XRP, which was purpose-built to enable fast, low-cost, highly scalable transactions across developer and financial use cases. With a proven track record working with regulators and policymakers around the world, Ripple's payments, custody and stablecoin solutions are pioneering the digital asset economy—building credibility and trust in enterprise blockchain. Together with customers, partners and the developer community, we are transforming the way the world tokenizes, stores, exchanges, and moves value. About Ctrl Alt Ctrl Alt is a leading tokenization infrastructure platform, combining blockchain technology with expert financial engineering to deliver tailored, compliant solutions in the alternative assets space. As of July 1, 2025, Ctrl Alt has tokenized over $325 million in assets, spanning real estate, private credit, funds, litigation finance and more. For further information, visit or contact info@ Ctrl Alt Solutions DMCC is licensed by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (reference: VL/25/05/002) as a Broker-Dealer and as an Issuer. Our principal office is located at Level No 12, Uptown Tower, Dubai. Virtual Assets may lose their value in full or in part, and are subject to extreme volatility. Investors in Virtual Assets can lose all their money and do not benefit from any form of financial protection. Media Contacts Ripple - Ian Burge press@ Ctrl Alt - Lawrence Chiu press@


Zawya
17 minutes ago
- Zawya
DIB strengthens global agri-financing with participation in landmark $1.85bln facility for Olam Agri
The transaction adds to DIB's growing portfolio of Islamic syndications across global capital markets. Dubai, UAE – DIB, the world's first Islamic bank and the largest in the UAE, has announced its participation, alongside a group of international lenders, in a landmark US$1.85 billion syndicated dual-tranche financing facility extended to Olam Agri, a leading global agri-business. DIB acted as the Senior Mandated Lead Arranger and Investment Agent for the Islamic tranche, reinforcing its role as a leading provider of Shariah-compliant cross-border financing for high-impact sectors. The three-year facility will be used for general corporate purposes and reflects the continued growth of values-driven finance in global markets. Olam Agri is majority-owned by Singapore's Olam Group with a significant minority stake held by the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The company plays a critical role in enhancing food security and supply chain resilience across global markets. The transaction adds to DIB's growing portfolio of Islamic syndications across emerging sectors, demonstrating the bank's ability to channel Islamic capital into industries of global significance. Ali Ahmad, Chief of Investment Banking at DIB, commented: 'We are really pleased to have closed our first deal with Olam Agri. This transaction is a clear reflection of the growing global demand for Islamic liquidity — not as an alternative, but as a core instrument for financing the real economy. DIB's role in leading the Islamic tranche demonstrates our ability to bring structure, scale, and certainty to complex, cross-border mandates. Beyond its economic contributions, Agri-finance is essential to building resilient food systems and strengthening supply chains. By supporting this sector through a Shariah-compliant framework, we reinforce our belief that Islamic finance has a central role to play in addressing global sustainability challenges. This includes advancing inclusive economic growth, promoting responsible resource use, and fostering innovation across industries. At DIB, we view Islamic finance as a forward-driving force — one that is not just aligned with global capital markets, but actively shaping their future through values-led structures and real-economy outcomes.' The transaction also reflects DIB's commitment to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on inclusive economic growth, sustainable infrastructure, and global partnerships. By financing companies that integrate sustainability and innovation into their core operations, DIB continues to advance its mission of enabling long-term, ethical impact through Islamic finance. About DIB: Established in 1975, DIB is the largest Islamic bank in the UAE by assets and a public joint stock company listed on the Dubai Financial Market. Spearheading the evolution of the global Islamic finance industry, DIB is also the world's first full service Islamic bank and amongst the largest Islamic banks in the world. With Group assets now exceeding USD95 billion and market capitalisation of more than USD 14bln, the group operates with a workforce of more than 10,000 employees and around 500 branches in its vast global network across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Serving over 5 million customers across the Group, DIB offers an increasing range of innovative Shariah-compliant products and services to retail, corporate and institutional clients. In addition to being the first and largest Islamic bank in the UAE, DIB has a significant international presence as a torchbearer in promoting Shariah-compliant financial services across a number of markets worldwide. The bank has established DIB Pakistan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary which is the first Islamic bank in Pakistan to offer Priority & Platinum Banking, The launch of Panin Dubai Syariah Bank in Indonesia early marked DIB's first foray in the Far East, with a stake of nearly 25% stake in the Indonesian bank. Additionally, DIB was given the licence by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate its subsidiary, DIB Kenya Ltd. DIB has been designated as D-SIB (Domestic Systemically Important Bank) in UAE. The acquisition of Noor Bank has solidified its position as a leading bank in the global Islamic finance industry. Recently, DIB has successfully acquired minority stake of 25% of T.O.M. Group which provides digital banking services in Türkiye. The bank's ultimate goal is to make Islamic finance the norm, rather than an alternative to conventional banking worldwide. DIB has won a range of accolades that are testament to these efforts across diversified areas, including retail, corporate and investment banking, as well as CSR and consultancy services. DIB has been named the 'Best Islamic Bank' in various prestigious ceremonies marking the bank's leadership position in the Islamic finance sector. As a progressive Islamic financial institution, DIB embraces the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating sustainability into its business by delivering sustainable products and services and by advancing the green and social composition. 2025 marked DIB Golden Jubilee, with a Bold New Vision for the Future to be prepared to meet the challenges ahead and continue building a legacy of success for the years to come. For more information, please visit us at About Olam Agri Olam Agri is a market leading, differentiated food, feed and fibre agri-business with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 35 years. With a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets and products across grains & oilseeds, wheat milling & pasta, rice, edible oils, specialty grains & seeds, animal feed & protein, cotton, wood products, rubber, sugar & bioenergy and risk management solutions, Olam Agri is at the heart of global food and agri-trade flows with 45.1 million MT in volume handled in 2024. Focused on transforming food, feed and fibre for a more sustainable future, it aims at creating value for customers, enable farming communities to prosper sustainably and strive for a food-secure future. Olam Agri Holdings Limited, which holds the Olam Agri business, is a 64.6% owned subsidiary of Olam Group. 35.4% of Olam Agri Holdings is owned by SALIC International Investment Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Olam Agri's strategic partner The Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Company. For more information and to subscribe to news alerts, please visit