Uganda has signed a deal with the UAE’s Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in order to construct the Kidepo International Airport, near the Kidepo National Park to boost tourism in the East African country.
According to the statement, this will be Uganda’s third international airport and marks an expansion of the UAE’s economic involvement in the East African nation, extending beyond its current interests in the renewable energy and oil and gas sectors.
Although the statement from Museveni’s office did not disclose the cost of the project, construction is set to commence in August, according to Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the Sharjah business body.
The new airport is expected to significantly boost tourism by attracting visitors to the 1,442-square-kilometer (557-square-mile) Kidepo National Park, renowned for its diverse wildlife, including lions, giraffes, buffaloes, and other big game.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who attended the signing of the agreement, highlighted the importance of this development in a post on X, stating that, “The agreement is a sign of the deepening relations with our Gulf partners and another opportunity to cooperate in investment and trade.”
Uganda’s Tourism Minister Tom Butime said that once completed, the airport would enable travelers to approach ‘the heart of our tourism hotspots,’ instead of landing at the country’s only international airport at Entebbe and spending long hours on the road.
“Tourists will have an option of flying into Kidepo International Airport and the nearby Kidepo National Park, then into Murchison Falls and other parks without going through Entebbe,” Butime further added.
