ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / RankWire.AI / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Abu Dhabi on September 29. The discussions centered on enhancing trade, investment opportunities, renewable energy projects, and infrastructure development. They also examined ongoing negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Zambia. Hichilema’s visit came weeks after he began his second term as president. The meeting marked a continuation of a series of high-level diplomatic exchanges between the two nations during 2026.
Sheikh Mohamed extended his congratulations to Hichilema on his new presidential term and highlighted the longstanding relationship between their countries. The leaders explored avenues to strengthen economic cooperation and diversification efforts further. They also considered strategies to deepen connections between government agencies and private sector entities. Diplomatic ties between the UAE and Zambia have spanned over fifty years, with recent talks increasingly emphasizing investment, mining, energy, infrastructure, and broader commercial collaborations.
Hichilema’s visit included participation in the Zambia-UAE Business Forum held in Abu Dhabi. According to Zambia’s State House, attendees signed memoranda of understanding valued at a total of $2.14 billion. These agreements covered multiple sectors, although officials did not release a detailed project-by-project breakdown. The president also discussed expanding bilateral trade through a comprehensive economic partnership framework. The ongoing UAE-Zambia CEPA negotiations were a key topic during the meeting, but no signing date was announced.
CEPA negotiations remain part of broader economic engagement
Both governments described the proposed CEPA as a framework aimed at broadening economic collaboration across public and private sectors. As of September 30, negotiations had not yet concluded, and neither side published final tariff schedules or detailed provisions. The trade discussions are part of wider talks that include renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, and investment. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema addressed these topics during their Abu Dhabi meeting, building on earlier discussions held this year.
In March, UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan met Hichilema in Lusaka, discussing trade, investment, mining, and renewable energy. Sheikh Shakhboot later visited Zambia for Hichilema’s September inauguration, conveying greetings from the UAE president. These meetings helped maintain ongoing government contact leading up to the Abu Dhabi visit. Zambia has also been actively promoting investment partnerships with Gulf countries while pursuing new commercial agreements and infrastructure projects.
Mining investments deepen UAE-Zambia economic ties
Mining remains a key sector within the UAE’s investment footprint in Zambia. Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding acquired a 51% stake in Mopani Copper Mines in 2024, with ZCCM Investments Holdings holding the remaining 49%. In July 2025, International Resources Holding announced it had invested over $1.1 billion in Mopani since acquiring control. Mopani operates mining and processing assets in Zambia’s Copperbelt, including facilities at Nkana and Mufulira.
The September meeting emphasized the significance of the UAE-Zambia economic partnership. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema discussed trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, and development cooperation, alongside the ongoing CEPA negotiations. The announcement of $2.14 billion in memoranda added a commercial dimension to the visit. As of September 30, the CEPA itself remained unsigned, with no official completion date announced, while both governments continued discussions on investment and business cooperation.