Africa with a Gulf Eye

The Afro-Gulf relations date back to the Pre-Islamic era when the people of the Arabian Peninsula first knew of Africa at the foundation of the Kingdom of Aksum by the so-called “Solomonic Dynasty” in 325 BC. This Kingdom was one of the strongest African civilizations that traded around the Arabian Peninsula area. Following the spread of Islam, relations between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula began to flourish.

That stage witnessed major historical events, starting from the visit of Africa’s most prominent king, Mansa Musa to the Arabian Peninsula in 1324, the residence of African scholar Sheikh Umar al-Futi in the Arabian Peninsula for twenty years, and the convoys of African scholars who migrated from far Western Africa to the Arabian Peninsula to escape the oppression of European colonization after the Berlin Conference also known as the “Congo Conference” in 1884-1885.

Despite these historically rich relations but Western Colonialism had a role in weakening them until nothing was known of them and of their importance. Though colonization succeeded to a great extent in the obliteration of these relations today we extend our hands of friendship and trace the course of our ancestors to get them right, so we might be able to restore the relations we and Africa aspire for.