Dubai-based AriseIIP to invest $3 billion in Kenya within five years

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Dubai-based AriseIIP to invest $3 billion in Kenya within five years

March 25, 2026

DUBAI,— AriseIIP, a Dubai-based African infrastructure developer, will invest more than $3 billion in Kenya over the next five years, the company told Reuters.

The investment will fund three industrial and export zones and a local textile company, supporting Kenya’s efforts to attract foreign investors and create employment.

Nikhil Gandhi, AriseIIP’s executive director responsible for special economic zones, said the company will contribute 30% to 40% of the funding directly in return for equity, with the remainder coming from loans from development finance institutions and other lenders.

“Overall, our investment in these projects exceeds $3 billion,” Gandhi said at an investment conference. “We aim to bring global companies from over 14 countries to establish manufacturing operations here.”

Two of the export zones will be located along Kenya’s coast, while a third will be in Naivasha in the Rift Valley.

Part of the funds will also go to Rivatex, a Kenyan textile company.

AriseIIP is backed by Afreximbank’s private equity arm (FEDA), Africa Finance Corporation, Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest, and UAE-based Equitane Group.

This will be its first investment in Kenya, after previous projects in Benin and Gabon.

Gandhi added that with support from KCB Group and Afreximbank, the company will launch an $800 million facility to assist businesses moving into the zones.

He said companies from China, Lebanon, and India have expressed interest, though he did not reveal specific names.

Gandhi suggested that international developments such as the war in Iran and U.S. tariff hikes could shift global supply chains to Africa.

“Value chains will move to this continent,” he said, highlighting sectors like textiles, minerals, and electric vehicles. “Given Kenya’s location, I can already see significant changes.”

ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) is a pan-African infrastructure developer that plans, funds, and builds specialized industrial zones.

Based in Dubai, the company aims to turn local raw materials into high-value exports, generate employment, and advance industrial growth across Africa.

(With files from Reuters)