This project will be the third international airport for the East African nation, furthering the UAE’s economic presence beyond its investments in renewable energy and the oil and gas sectors, Reuters reported.
The UAE’s Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry will undertake the construction of the airport, which will be situated just outside Kidepo National Park in northeastern Uganda, near the Kenyan border. However, the statement from Museveni’s office did not disclose the project’s cost.
Construction is set to begin in August, according to Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the Sharjah business body. Upon completion, Kidepo International Airport will be Uganda’s second-biggest airport after Entebbe.
The new airport aims to boost tourism by attracting visitors to the 1,442-square-kilometer (557-square-mile) Kidepo National Park, renowned for its lions, giraffes, buffaloes, and other big game.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Tom Butime, instead of international tourists arriving at Entebbe Airport and driving to Kidepo National Park, which is hundreds of miles away, they will land directly at Kidepo International Airport.
President Museveni expressed his excitement that Uganda and the Gulf countries have strengthened relations which were not there in the past. He added that there is a lot of potential for investment between Uganda and the Gulf countries which should be explored.
