DMCC was established in 2002 with just 28 member companies. Over the years, it has grown remarkably, and by 2025 it has more than 25,000 members from 180 countries and employs over 90,000 people.
Speaking on the program Business With Bartawi, Ahmed reflected on how difficult DMCC's early years were. Between 2001 and 2004, money was being invested but growth was slow, largely because there were no similar models around the world to learn from.
He recalled that one of the turning points in his journey came during a meeting in 2002 or 2003, which was attended by President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame.
At the time, Kagame was visiting Dubai to explore projects that Rwanda might replicate.
'I had a few meetings that triggered me in different ways. One was with President Kagame and his wife. He was visiting multiple initiatives in Dubai to see what could be replicated in Kigali,' he noted.
'When I met him, I was anxious, just the operating officer, while my CEO wasn't present. I felt I was being set up. My focus was to get through the slides without stuttering,' added Sulayem.
During the presentation, he explained DMCC's plans around diamonds, gold, silver, commodities, and the 360-meter Almas Tower.
'It was probably around 2002 or 2003. We didn't yet have a coffee center, but we had decided to create storage and service facilities for tea and grow it organically,' he noted.
At the end of the presentation, Kagame made a remark that stayed with him.
'Kagame said; 'When your tea center is ready, let me know. I'm going to have all of our tea sent there'' he recalled.
Surprised, Sulayem thanked him but asked why Rwanda would want to send all its tea directly to DMCC, given that it had no track record at the time.
Kagame responded: 'Because I am tired of our tea leaving Mombasa and being sold abroad as Kenyan tea. I want to protect our brand.'
Ahmed said this was a powerful lesson. 'At the time, I didn't even know where Rwanda was on the map, or that it was landlockedâ€"meaning no seaport, only transport through neighboring countries. For a country like that, protecting its national brand was crucial. That day I learned how much identity and positioning matter in trade,' he stated.
Today, two decades later, the United Arab Emirates stands as Rwanda's leading export destination.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the UAE received the largest share of Rwanda's exports, mainly minerals, coffee, and tea.
According to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Rwanda produced 40,003 tonnes of tea in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, generating $114.8 million (approximately Frw 166 billion).
In the same period, coffee output reached 17,038 tonnes, earning $78.7 million (Frw113.8 billion), with 16,479 tonnes shipped abroad.
IGIHE
