Buoyed by a sharp increase in foreign direct investment into Africa from the Gulf countries, African law firms are optimistic about the opportunities for more work, lawyers practicing in both regions told Law.com International.

Last year, investors in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman poured over $53 billion into projects in Africa, according to the trade publication fDi Market. By comparison, the inflow of FDI from the same countries averaged about $10 billion a year for the decade from 2012 to 2022, fDi Market figures showed.