Gulf Сooperation Сouncil countries’ investment strategies in Africa

Competition for the markets of African countries is becoming more active over the recent years, not only among the traditional partners, the United States and China, but also among the countries that are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The study examines the historical roots of the economic ties of MENA countries, where a leading role played by trade routes the spread of Islam, migration flows, and the oil factor. Since 2020, an active phase of GCC countries’ capital expansion in African states has begun due to increasing competition for resources and growing food security threats. The purpose of the study is to examine the investment model of the GCC member countries in Africa, taking into account the mutual interests of the countries. The authors used a retrospective and comparative assessment of investment activity based on specific examples of investments from the GCC countries. The study covers more than 17 bilateral and multilateral projects in critical sectors, including traditional and renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture. The study identifies key trends in economic cooperation that demonstrate the features of the current investment model of the GCC countries, where the key role is played by the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The authors concluded that these investments establish long-­term economic ties between the Middle East and Africa. Thus, investor countries use investment mechanisms to ensure access to strategic resources, particularly through the restructuring of the host country’s debt. Driven by economic interests in increasing the sales of their products, Saudi Arabia and the UAE purchase ports to expand their transport and logistics potential and compete for the formation of international transport corridors. Food security challenges shape the investment interests of GCC countries in the agricultural sector of Africa’s fertile lands, such as Sudan and Ethiopia. Investments in renewable energy projects in Africa reflect the GCC countries’ interest in testing and adapting advanced technologies in hot desert climates, allowing them to assess their efficiency and scalability potential for further implementation in their own national energy systems. Thus, the study answers the question of what strategic and economic interests the GCC countries pursue through the investment expansion strategy in African countries.