The Arab-African Trade Bridges Program for Arab and African collaboration

The Arab-African Trade Bridges (AATB) program, a multi-donor, multi-country and multi-organization program, organized the 3rd Arab-African Meeting of Buyers/Sellers of Agri-Food and Derived Products on January 25-26, 2023 in Morocco .

The two-day event, organized with the National Federation of Agribusiness (FENAGRI) and in cooperation with the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX), brought together leading agricultural and food industry professionals from all Arab and African regions.

Highlighting the huge potential of agricultural markets in the Arab and African regions, the event gave participating organizations the opportunity to establish and forge business relationships and promote cooperation with partners from both regions. The AATB program has also renewed its focus on advancing food security which is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).

The B2B event saw the active participation of investors, industries, stakeholders and organizations from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Togo, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Tunisia.

Hani Salem Sonbol, Managing Director of ITFC and Secretary General of AATB, during his opening speech said, “ The AATB program is more than ever committed to promoting trade and economic development between Arab and African countries through its various interventions. We work with member countries and partners to create an enabling environment for trade in the Arab region and on the African continent, in accordance with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. This event is in line with this mission and serves as a platform to strengthen ties and explore new opportunities in the agribusiness and related products sector, thus contributing to food security efforts in both regions.. ».

Building on the success of the first edition held in 2018 in Dubai and the second held in Cairo in 2019, this third edition offers participants an unparalleled opportunity to network, build partnerships and engage with industry experts, with more than 300 bilateral meetings held between Arab and African counterparts.

Since its launch in 2017, the Arab-African Trade Bridges program has established itself as the main vehicle for promoting trade between Africa and the Arab regions through important initiatives that support the growth and prosperity of its member countries.