African Marketplace (AMP) Dubai 2026 has opened at Conrad Dubai with a call to turn Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into a global export powerhouse, highlighting the vast, largely untapped commercial potential of businesses that account for 90 per cent of the Afro-Caribbean productive sector.
Founded by Mrs Ibukun Awosika, African Marketplace aims to bridge the gap between African and Caribbean entrepreneurs and international markets by connecting businesses with global buyers, strategic partners and the wider Dubai business community.
Running from 10 to 12 October 2026, the three-day exhibition provides a global platform for showcasing products, services, technology, innovations and creative enterprises from across Africa and the Caribbean, opening up opportunities for market access, partnerships and international trade.
Mrs Ibukun Awosika was joined by Walid Hareb AlFalahi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UAE Trade Centre; Grace El Mahmoud Marabe, Consul General of Ghana to Dubai; and Janice Costa, Project Manager and Events and Partnerships Leader at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), to officially open the exhibition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Ninety percent of our productive sector sits in the SME space, and that is where the value is. The world just does not know it yet. Our job is to unlock these businesses as an export machine and take them to the global stage. Last year, visitors asked us if these products were really made in Africa. They are. When people see them and hold them, the doubt goes. That is why we are in Dubai,” said Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Founder of African Marketplace and the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy (IALA).
Her remarks underscored the importance of improving the visibility of African-made products, building international buyer confidence and creating opportunities for SMEs to compete in global markets.
H.E. Walid Hareb AlFalahi said interest in African products in Dubai was growing, describing this year’s exhibition as a significant improvement on its inaugural edition.
“Market entry takes persistence. From last year to this year, I see a major improvement. There is real interest in African products here, and this can grow bigger,” he said.
He also called for greater participation from the women's community and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to strengthen the platform's reach and commercial impact.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is the key strategic partner for African Marketplace Dubai 2026.
Afreximbank, which has supported the organisers since the exhibition's inaugural edition in 2025, is a strategic partner and key sponsor. The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) is participating as a partner for the first time this year, supporting selected exhibitors to attend the event.
Other supporters include FCMB, Emadeb Energy and Senator Daisy Danjuma.
African Business Heroes, a Jack Ma initiative that has spent seven years supporting the development of African entrepreneurs, is also represented at the exhibition, with some of its past winners showcasing their businesses.
African Marketplace Dubai 2026 runs from 10 to 12 October at Conrad Dubai, bringing together entrepreneurs, buyers, investors and business leaders to strengthen commercial connections and expand export opportunities for African and Caribbean businesses.
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