SABA Hosts Successful Hydrogen Roundtable Series in London

The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA), in partnership with Scottish Development International, hosted a powerful series of hydrogen roundtables in London, building bridges between Scotland and high-potential hydrogen markets across Africa and the Middle East. This series - centred on Namibia, Oman, Morocco and Egypt - underscored Scotland’s growing role in the global green hydrogen ecosystem and opened new commercial pathways for Scottish companies.

Our first roundtable featured leading voices from Namibia who joined us virtually to unlock signal insights on the green hydrogen landscape. Discussions focused on the African Green Hydrogen Summit, investment opportunities, and how Namibia’s hydrogen sector is structured to scale. We deep-dived into the practical challenges and future development of infrastructure and partnerships: it was clear this is a high-growth market where Scottish expertise can play a meaningful role.

Held at the Embassy of Oman in London, our second roundtable featured opening remarks by Her Excellency Arwa Al Bulushi and a detailed presentation from Mr Abdul Aziz Al Shidhani of Hydrom. We talked in depth about Oman's strategic hydrogen objectives — including desalination requirements at coastal ports, the logistics of liquid hydrogen transport, and how Hydrom’s auction model will be used to scale green hydrogen and ammonia exports. This engagement showed tangible opportunities for Scottish companies across water treatment, port infrastructure, electrolysis technology and engineering solutions.

In our third session, speakers from OCP and IRESEN introduced delegates to some of Morocco’s major hydrogen-tech initiatives, including the Green Energy Park, the MEA Clean Tech Academy, and the country’s strategy for Power-to-X development. Given Morocco’s global leadership in phosphate reserves, we also discussed how hydrogen-derived ammonia could drive forward the decarbonisation of its fertilizer industry — as well as broader opportunities in green transport. The session laid the groundwork for a future Scottish delegation to Morocco to deepen engagement and explore project-level partnerships.

The final roundtable was co-hosted with the Egyptian Embassy, the National Bank of Egypt UK and the Egyptian-British Chamber of Commerce. Experts drew out Egypt’s green hydrogen pipeline, including industrial-scale electrolyser projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, green ammonia prospects, and capacity for export. We arranged a meeting with the Minister Plenipotentiary in Scotland, reinforcing diplomatic and commercial ties. Looking ahead, SABA is planning a dedicated energy delegation to Egypt in April, followed by a broader, cross-sectoral mission later this year.

These roundtables delivered real, actionable insight. They weren’t just conversations; they were a platform for building competitive business pathways. Scottish companies now have clearer routes into high-potential hydrogen markets plus access to decision-makers, auction frameworks and development projects.

SABA’s role as a convener, connector and trusted advisor was central to making these sessions work. Through introductions, briefing support, consortium-building and delegation planning, we’re helping our members translate high-level interest into real, deliverable opportunities.