The Private Technical Assistant to Uganda’s Ambassador to Sudan, Rashid Semuddu, Shaban Ramadan Sserunkuma, has emphasized the historical importance of the Arabic language and its potential in promoting trade and tourism between Uganda and the Arab world.
“Tourism in Uganda holds the key to increased job creation, increased foreign exchange earnings, improved domestic revenue mobilization, and a services-led economic transformation,” he said.
Sserunkuma was speaking at the launch of the Arabic Economic Magazine in Kampala highlighting the early presence of Arabic in Uganda, predating the arrival of English in 1844.
The magazine which has Arabic language media channel, where they translate stories from English to Arabic, aims at spreading trade and tourism information between Africa and Arab world as well as bosting investment in Africa.
Sserunkuma said, while Christianity and the colonial powers brought English to the region in 1877, Arabic remained limited to the Muslim community. It also continued to serve as a vital connection with Arab nations.
Uganda is ranked a top tourist destination and one of only three countries on the globe with about 50 percent of the world’s known population of scarce mountain gorillas.
With abundant wildlife Uganda is ranked among the top 16 holiday destinations in the world.
Uganda’s tourism earnings have also increased to about Ug.Shs 2.7 trillion which is 12.2% of total exports and 41.4 % of service exports by March 2023, according to reports from Ministry of Tourism.
The Stake holders of Arabic Economic Magazine cutting a cake during the magazine launch
He said, that the magazine’s launch aimed to promote trade and tourism, recognizing the significance of both goods and services in economic exchanges.
Eng. Saed Ali of Beserene Restaurant acknowledged the current imbalance and expressed the need to diversify tourism beyond the health sector.
He underscored the importance of providing information about Uganda’s tourism potential to Arab tourists and believed that the magazine would play a significant role in marketing Uganda and Africa to the Middle East.
Beserene expressed the ambassador’s commitment to supporting the magazine and its role in commercial diplomacy, emphasizing its potential value to the economy.
Badreldeen Khalafallha, the Magazine’s editor said, the significance of the Arabic Economic Magazine, stating, that the magazine serves as a valuable resource for the business community, offering insightful articles and updates on economic trends.
“The launch of the Arabic Economic Magazine was celebrated as a significant step towards strengthening ties between Uganda and the Arab world, promoting trade, and showcasing Uganda’s tourism potential to Arab nations,” he said.
Eng. Saed Ali of Beserene Rasturant, Badreldeen Khalafallha and Ramadan Sserunkuma launching the Arabic Econ Magazine
Africa remained the largest source of tourists contributing at least 87.8% of international arrivals, followed by Asia and Europe.
Game viewing is the most popular tourist activity in the Uganda’s national parks. This is because the country has a variety of game, including the rare tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, white rhinoceros, and elephant.
Uganda is also a home to 11% of the world’s bird species. It is also blessed with unspoiled scenic beauty including forests, hills, mountains, rivers and lakes.
By March this year (2023), tourism accounted for a large share of the total country’s employment, directly employing close to 1.6 million people, 68% of whom are female and accounting for 14.7% of the total number of jobs.
The steadily growing tourist numbers are estimated to have reached 1.5 million per year, contributing 7.7 percent to GDP featured investment projects in Uganda.
Uganda is one of the countries attracting the most foreign direct investment (FDI) in East Africa, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD’ s) 2022 World’s Investment Report, FDI in Uganda increased by 30 percent from $ 874m in 2020 to $1.1bn in 2021.
