DMCC has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with the Botswana Stock Exchange Group to connect Botswana's emerging commodities exchange with Dubai's global trading, finance and logistics ecosystem, establishing what officials describe as Africa's first sister-hub trading corridor between Dubai and Gaborone.
The partnership aims to strengthen Botswana's access to international commodity markets and support the country's economic diversification agenda. It covers trade finance, logistics, vaulting, digital infrastructure and knowledge exchange for commodities including diamonds, copper, coal, soda ash, critical minerals, beef and agricultural products.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC, signed the agreement alongside Neo Mooki, Chairperson of the Botswana Stock Exchange Group, in Singapore following the 41st World Diamond Congress.
Botswana Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo said the agreement supports the country's push to attract investment, advance beneficiation and connect its resources to global value chains. Bin Sulayem said the deal combines Botswana's production strengths with Dubai's trade infrastructure to unlock new investment opportunities and improve access to institutional capital.
A central component involves DMCC's digital financial infrastructure, including DMCC FinX, to expand trade finance options and enable tokenisation of physical commodity parcels as real-world assets. Shariah-compliant Islamic finance instruments will also be explored to draw institutional investment into African commodity value chains.
The BMX vault in Gaborone is expected to become the first facility certified under DMCC's Global Good Delivery Standard, a certification framework supporting cross-border commodity trade in emerging markets.
Among the earliest initiatives is a planned link between the Okavango Diamond Company and the Dubai Diamond Exchange through coordinated diamond tenders, with the first commercial tenders expected in late 2026. The partnership also aims to advance cooperation on natural diamonds through the Luanda Accord and the Natural Diamond Council.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
