CRDB Bank Group CEO and managing director, Mr. Abdulmajid Nsekela (centre), is welcomed by the Dubai Country manager and Principal Representative, Mr Jackson Kehengu (left), during a strategic visit to the bank’s Dubai Representative Office. Looking on is Ms Tully Esther Mwambapa (right), CRDB Director of Communications and CRDB Bank Foundation CEO. The visit comes ahead of the office’s official launch scheduled for later this month. PHOTO | COURTESY
Nsekela says that the Dubai hub is a cornerstone of the lender’s long-term strategy
Dar es Salaam. CRDB Bank is seeking to strengthen financial and investment linkages between East Africa and the Middle East as it prepares to officially launch its Dubai Representative Office later this month.
CRDB Group chief executive officer and managing director Mr Abdulmajid Nsekela has paid a strategic visit to the Dubai office, underscoring the lender’s ambition to use the UAE’s commercial capital as a gateway for trade, investment and capital flows between the two regions.
During the visit, Mr Nsekela held high-level engagements with the Dubai Representative Office team led by the country representative, Mr Jackson Kehengu, and was briefed on operations since the office began activities in October 2025.
According to the briefing, the office has already recorded strong early momentum, with growing interest from investors, multinational companies, trade financiers and financial institutions across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
CRDB said the early response reflects confidence in the bank’s expanding regional footprint and its track record in facilitating trade, investment and development finance in Tanzania and the broader East African region, including Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the lender has operations.
Mr Nsekela said the Dubai expansion is central to CRDB’s long-term strategy of building a financial bridge between East Africa and the Middle East, leveraging Dubai’s position as a global hub for trade, logistics, investment and financial services.
“In recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing geopolitical shifts, Dubai has emerged as a critical gateway for global trade,” he said. “We see a clear opportunity to link traders and investors between the UAE and East Africa, and to connect East African businesses to markets and capital in the Middle East.”
He said the Dubai Representative Office will focus on facilitating trade finance, investment advisory services and structured financial solutions, while working closely with governments and development partners to unlock capital for productive investments in the region.
The CRDB chief said the move would support national and regional efforts to attract foreign direct investment, boost exports and integrate East African economies more deeply into global value chains.
He noted that trade between Tanzania and the UAE has now exceeded $2.2 billion, presenting significant opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics and tourism.
“The Dubai office will play a catalytic role in attracting capital and investment into Tanzania and East Africa. We invite traders, investors and corporates to use it as a trusted entry point for finance, investment advisory and partnership facilitation,” Mr Nsekela said.
He thanked the Government of Tanzania for creating a conducive policy and regulatory environment that has enabled Tanzanian institutions to expand internationally, and commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for strengthening economic diplomacy through her open-door investment policy.
Mr Nsekela also acknowledged the support of key institutions, including the Tanzania Embassy to the UAE, the Bank of Tanzania, the Dubai Financial Services Authority and the Dubai International Financial Centre, saying their collaboration had been instrumental in establishing the representative office.
He added that even as CRDB expands beyond the African continent, the bank will continue to broaden its footprint across East and Central Africa as part of its long-term growth strategy.
