Dubai Investments completes Phase 1 infrastructure work on DIP Angola

When DIP Angola was announced in January last year, it was Dubai Investments’ first step towards realising its vision for international expansion. Emboldened by a business model that made its flagship project, Dubai Investments Park (DIP), a mega success, the diversified investment company had been on the lookout for potential new markets for replication. Against a backdrop of growing bilateral ties, Angola offered the perfect setting as an economy focused on diversification and sustainable development.

Developed in phases over 12 years with a total investment of $500 million (Dh1.84 billion) by Dubai Investments International Angola, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Investments, DIP Angola is envisioned as the country’s first fully integrated economic zone. Work on the 2,000-hectare park in the Dande province, 50km from the Angolan capital of Luanda, began in June last year. Phase 1 infrastructure is now complete setting the stage for further development.

Khalid Bin Kalban, Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Investments, sees this milestone as a turning point for DIP Angola. “With essential roads, utilities, and services in place, the project is fully equipped to welcome investors and accelerate the establishment of operations,” he explains. “It signals that DIP Angola is moving beyond vision into reality, providing tangible assurance to local and international partners that the ecosystem is ready for business and long-term investment.”

Following Dubai Investments Park’s blueprint for success

Dubai Investments, set up in 1995 to provide opportunities for UAE nationals, has an illustrious 30-year history of developing sustainable businesses and economic ecosystems. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market since 2000, the company is behind DIP, one of the most successful mixed-use developments that boasts residential, commercial and industrial hubs spread across 2,300 hectares. A self-sustaining urban ecosystem, DIP, established in 1997, has become a benchmark for integrated mixed-use developments in the region, housing more than 120,000 residents across 300+ residential buildings, 5,000+ businesses, 645+ warehouses/factories and an extensive community infrastructure comprising six schools, five hotels, seven clinics, two hospitals, and many parks.

Through its subsidiary, Dubai Investments brings the same expertise to Angola. Leveraging the experience of its parent company, Dubai Investments International Angola is developing a sustainable, multi-sectoral economic ecosystem at DIP Angola that includes industrial, commercial and social infrastructure for holistic growth and development. It’s already in talks with various investors to establish operations at the park.

“The group is witnessing interest from a diverse range of businesses and discussions are ongoing with a strong pipeline of investors exploring opportunities to invest in DIP Angola,” explains Kalban. “The strength of this pipeline underlines DIP Angola’s positioning as more than just an industrial hub — it is a platform that supports a spectrum of industries, helping Angola achieve its diversification goals while also serving as a gateway to wider regional markets.”

A pathway to economic diversification

By localising production, reducing reliance on imports, and driving industrial growth across key sectors, DIP Angola will play a transformative role in Angola’s economy, says Kalban.  “The project will generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities spanning manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and support services, creating a ripple effect that benefits the wider community. Just as importantly, DIP Angola will foster knowledge transfer through capacity building, skills development, and the introduction of international best practices. Together, these contributions position the project as a long-term enabler of economic resilience and diversification for Angola.”

Dubai Investments has already set the ball rolling by putting in place partnerships with key Angolan entities to enhance the country’s long-term competitiveness. Globalpharma, Dubai Investments’ subsidiary, recently signed an MoU with the Angolan Ministry of Health to strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical sector.

“The MoU is a significant step towards building healthcare resilience in Angola,” explains Kalban. “It positions Globalpharma as a partner in strengthening the local pharmaceutical industry through potential local manufacturing, knowledge transfer, and improved access to high-quality medicines.”

The collaboration will also foster knowledge transfer, skills training, and healthcare innovation, creating lasting benefits for Angola’s health sector and its people.

Dubai Investments’ commitment to DIP Angola goes beyond the pharmaceutical sector. “DIP Angola is a landmark initiative that embodies UAE-Angola partnership, demonstrating how UAE expertise can support Angola’s economic transformation,” emphasises Kalban.

Its efforts are focused on creating jobs, boosting regional trade and advancing economic diversification in Angola.

“We expect this collaboration to deepen across trade, healthcare, infrastructure and investment, creating a framework for sustainable growth that benefits both nations,” he adds.