Africa and the Gulf in a Multipolar Economy: Trade, Investment, and Strategic Partnerships

In this episode of the WASSAP podcast, hosts Désirée Custers and Hubert Kinkoh explore the evolving economic relationship between Africa and the Gulf in the context of an increasingly multipolar world.

They are joined by Aparupa Chakravarti, a strategist working at the intersection of geopolitics, business, development, and social impact across Africa and the Gulf. Drawing on her extensive experience across both regions, Aparupa discusses why Gulf countries have become interesting partners for African states and how their investment approaches differ from those of more traditional external actors.

The conversation also examines emerging sectors of cooperation beyond the commonly discussed areas of ports and infrastructure, including renewable energy, technology, artificial intelligence, and the creative economy. A central focus of the episode is African agency, highlighting how African governments and businesses are shaping the terms of engagement with Gulf partners and moving beyond extractive economic models.

Lastly, the discussion explores how Africa–Gulf relations are being influenced by broader global shifts towards multipolarity, before turning to the role of people-to-people connections, education, philanthropy, migration, and remittances in sustaining long-term partnerships between the two regions. Looking ahead, Aparupa argues that talent flows and human capital may become one of the defining features of Africa–Gulf relations over the coming decade.