Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, and Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM), a premier export credit agency in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have announced a partnership aimed at strengthening business growth and enhancing economic cooperation between their economies.

To this end, both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 9, 2023, to foster economic cooperation and trade relations between the two entities.

The MoU was signed on the side-lines of the Saudi and Arab African Summits in Saudi Arabia.

The partnership between UBA Group and Saudi EXIM Bank outlines the guiding principles for developing cooperation and relations between the two banks, with primary focus on promoting trade through the export of goods and services between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the African markets.

Apart from collaborating in these areas, both institutions will also ensure sustained participation in the development of the African economy through intercontinental business relationships that will be facilitated by the new partnership.

The MoU will also work towards supporting joint projects and collaboration involving the export of goods and services from Saudi Arabia, and exploring opportunities to co-finance, co-insure, co-guarantee, and reinsurance projects jointly undertaken by companies from both regions.

It will also facilitate the exchange of information and know-how in the field of export credit policies and practices, the sharing of experiences and best practices through meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops, as well as providing training for each other’s staff members and staff exchanges when beneficial to both parties.

The framework for cooperation on specific joint projects will be established under separate agreements, with each party determining the terms and conditions of its support in line with its policies, procedures, and national legislation.

Also, the exchange of information will be facilitated by both institutions, while technical know-how in the field of export credit policies and practices will also be shared.

UBA’s Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who expressed his enthusiasm about this collaboration, explained that through the partnership, both companies will Identify and support joint projects and collaboration in the area of exportation of goods and services.

He said, “We are happy to join hands with Saudi EXIM Bank in a partnership that holds great promise for businesses and economies in both regions. This agreement will not only facilitate the export of goods and services but also solidify our commitment to intercontinental business relationships and contribute to the development of the African economy.”

“This relationship is particularly promising, considering that Saudi Arabia is deliberate in deepening economic cooperation with Africa and UBA with presence in 20 African countries, providing the necessary vehicle for deepening this engagement. The partnership also expands our access to Asia and the Middle East, where the Bank recently opened a subsidiary in Dubai,” Alawuba said.

His Excellency Eng. Saad Al-Khalb, CEO of Saudi EXIM, said, “By uniting our strengths, we are setting in motion a dynamic platform that will propel the export of innovative Saudi goods and services, catalyze industrial growth, and magnify our global footprint across the rich tapestry of African economies. This, we believe, will not only augment Saudi Arabia’s export diversification but also contribute significantly to the socio-economic fabric of the African nations we will serve together.”

UBA is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-seven million customers across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries.

With presence in New York, London and Paris and now the UAE, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.

Saudi EXIM was established in 2020 with the aim of promoting Saudi non-oil exports and enhancing its competitiveness across various sectors in global markets. This is done by providing financing services, guarantees and credit insurance with competitive advantages to enhance confidence in Saudi products and increase the contribution of non-oil industries to 50% by 2030 from the current percentage of 16%, which is a major goal of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The Export-Import Bank is one of the development funds that are supervised by Saudi National Development Fund.