🇹🇩Chad

An oil-producing country at the heart of the Sahel, with a herd of over 100 million head, exceptional solar potential and a crossroads position between Central Africa, the Sahel and North Africa.

CapitalN'Djamena
Population≈ 18 M
CurrencyFranc CFA (XAF)
GDP≈ 13 Md $ / bn $
Business languageFrançais / arabe · French / Arabic

Economic overview

Chad is a vast landlocked country of 18 million people stretching from the Sahara in the north to humid savannahs in the south. An oil producer since 2003, it has a refinery at Djermaya and exports crude by pipeline through Cameroon. But its first wealth is livestock: over 100 million cattle, camels, sheep and goats, one of Africa's largest herds, still very little processed.

The country is also the world's leading exporter of gum arabic, a producer of cotton, sesame, groundnuts and dates, and holds some of the best solar irradiation on the planet. Lake Chad and its basins offer significant irrigation potential. N'Djamena, the capital, is a crossroads city between Cameroon, Nigeria, Sudan and Libya.

Chad is bilingual French-Arabic and maintains close relations with the Gulf, particularly the UAE, a leading partner in infrastructure, security and humanitarian aid. The political transition completed in 2024 stabilised the institutional framework.

Why invest in Chad

A livestock giant

Over 100 million head: the meat, dairy and hide chain awaits abattoirs, tanneries and cold chains to export to the Gulf.

Oil and energy

Oil production, the Djermaya refinery, and solar irradiation among the world's best for a very under-electrified country.

An Arabic-speaking bridge

Chad shares the Arabic language with the Gulf, easing business and institutional relations.

Immense needs

Roads, power, water, housing, telecoms: everything is to be built, with international financing available.

Strategic sectors

Livestock

Meat, hides, dairy

Modern halal-standard abattoirs, tanneries, dairies and export to the Gulf and Nigeria.

Energy

Solar, hydrocarbons

Solar plants, refining, distribution of petroleum products, mini-grids.

Agriculture

Gum arabic, cotton, sesame, dates

Collection, packaging and export; the world's leading gum arabic exporter.

Infrastructure

Roads, energy, water

Corridors to Cameroon, Sudan and Libya, electrification, boreholes.

Real estate

N'Djamena

Housing, hospitality and offices in a growing capital short of quality supply.

Water

Irrigation and drinking water

Lake Chad basin, irrigated schemes, water distribution.

Opportunities for UAE investors

The UAE is a leading partner of Chad. These are the operations we structure.

  1. Meat chain to the Gulf

    Halal-standard abattoirs, cold chain and air freight to Dubai, with a near-unlimited herd.

  2. Solar plants

    Public-private partnerships and independent producers for a grid to be developed.

  3. Gum arabic and sesame

    Collection, packaging and export of products in strong international demand.

  4. Distribution and trade

    Import and distribution of consumer goods from Dubai.

  5. Real estate in N'Djamena

    Hotels and residences for strong institutional and diplomatic demand.

Risks and how we manage them

Regional security

The borders with Sudan and Libya are sensitive. We concentrate projects on N'Djamena and the south.

Landlocked

The corridor to Douala is 1,700 km. We build logistics into every project.

Administration

Procedures are slow. Our relationship with the investment agency and ministries speeds up files.

Climate

Heat, drought and floods. Farm and livestock projects include water and insurance.

Legal framework and ties with the UAE

Investing in Chad

  • Investment Charter with privileged regimes and exemptions.
  • National Investment and Export Agency (ANIE): one-stop shop.
  • OHADA law and recognised arbitration.
  • Tax and customs exemptions for approved projects.
  • Investment protection agreement with the UAE.

The Dubai connection

  • Close diplomatic relations and UAE financing in infrastructure.
  • Chadian community established in the UAE, business in Arabic.
  • N'Djamena–Dubai via Addis Ababa or Cairo.
  • Dubai as the market for Chadian meat, gum arabic and gold.

Dubai as your operating base

For a UAE investor, Chad is best worked from Dubai. The city offers the tools that are often missing on the ground: a Free Zone holding company to carry the stake, banks used to African flows, a recognised international arbitration framework, tax treaties and investment protection agreements, and regular flights to the continent. For an entrepreneur or institution from Chad, Dubai is symmetrically the gateway to Gulf capital, commodity buyers and Asian industrial partners. ABC Consultancy sits in the middle of that bridge: we know both shores and we speak to both.

How ABC Consultancy supports you

First conversation

A confidential 45-minute call to understand your objectives, ticket size, horizon and risk appetite. We tell you whether the project makes sense before going any further.

Scoping note

A written note that sets the perimeter: sector, deal format, partners to target, timeline, study budget and deliverables. It serves as the engagement contract.

Sourcing and vetting

Identification of partners, assets and institutional counterparts on the ground. Every counterparty is checked: titles, management, track record, reputation, ongoing disputes.

Field mission

Meetings with authorities, partners and sites. We prepare, accompany and translate every exchange, then produce a decision-ready report.

Structuring

Legal and financial set-up between Dubai and the country with our partner lawyers and auditors: holding, joint venture, shareholder agreement, commercial contracts, full due diligence.

Post-signing follow-up

Governance, reporting, relations with the authorities, renewal of approvals. We remain your trusted contact for as long as the transaction lives.

Who we work with

UAE funds and family offices

You want exposure to Chad with a reliable local partner and a Dubai holding structure. We source, vet and structure.

Industrial groups and traders

You need to secure a supply chain, a plant or a commercial outlet in Chad. We organise the mission, the approvals and the contracts.

Local institutions and companies

You represent a ministry, an agency or a company from Chad and are looking for capital and partners in the Gulf. We prepare your file and open the doors.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Chadian meat interest the Gulf?

Because the herd is immense, the farming extensive and natural, and Chad Muslim: halal standards come naturally. The challenge is industrial: abattoirs, cold chain and logistics.

Is Chad stable?

The political transition was completed in 2024. Risks are mainly regional and logistical.

What is the minimum ticket to invest in Chad with ABC Consultancy?

There is no fixed threshold: it depends on the sector and the format. An equity stake in a livestock project runs into millions of dollars, whereas a trading or real estate operation can start much lower. In the first conversation we tell you honestly whether your budget allows a serious transaction.

How long does a transaction take?

Expect three to six months between the scoping note and signature for a trading or real estate operation, and nine to eighteen months for a energy project requiring approvals, in-depth due diligence and structured financing.

How is ABC Consultancy paid?

Through engagement fees set in the scoping note, possibly completed by a success fee at signing. We never take hidden remuneration from a counterparty: our only loyalty is to you.

Do I need a Dubai company to invest in Chad?

It is not mandatory, but it is often the best solution: a Free Zone holding carries the stake, benefits from tax treaties and protection agreements, and repatriates dividends within a clear framework. We set it up with you.

A project in Chad ?

Describe it in a few lines. We get back to you within 48 hours for a first confidential conversation.

Or directly: WhatsApp +971 545 995 343 · contact@africabusiness.club