ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / RankWire.AI / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held discussions with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in Abu Dhabi on September 29. Their talks centered on boosting trade, attracting investment, renewable energy initiatives, and infrastructure development. The leaders also examined ongoing negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Zambia. Hichilema’s visit came weeks after beginning his second term as president, marking the continuation of a series of high-level exchanges during 2026 between the two nations.
Sheikh Mohamed congratulated Hichilema on his new presidency and highlighted the enduring relationship between their countries. Both heads of state discussed opportunities to enhance economic development and diversification efforts, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation between government agencies and private sector entities. Diplomatic relations between the UAE and Zambia have lasted over fifty years, with recent discussions increasingly emphasizing investment, energy, mining, infrastructure, and broader commercial ties.
The visit included the Zambia-UAE Business Forum held in Abu Dhabi, where Zambia’s State House announced that participants signed memoranda of understanding totaling $2.14 billion. While the agreements spanned multiple sectors, officials did not release a detailed project-by-project breakdown. Hichilema also emphasized expanding bilateral trade through a comprehensive economic partnership framework. The negotiations for the UAE-Zambia CEPA were still ongoing during the meeting, with no official signing date announced.
CEPA negotiations part of broader economic cooperation efforts
Both governments described the proposed CEPA as a strategic framework to enhance economic collaboration across both public and private sectors. As of September 30, negotiations had not yet concluded, and no final tariff schedules or detailed provisions had been published by either side. These trade discussions are part of wider talks covering renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, and investment. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema addressed these sectors during their Abu Dhabi meeting, following earlier discussions earlier this year.
In March, UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan met Hichilema in Lusaka. Their conversations included trade, investment, mining, and renewable energy, with Sheikh Shakhboot returning to Zambia for Hichilema’s September inauguration and conveying greetings from the UAE president. These engagements contributed to ongoing diplomatic exchanges before the Abu Dhabi visit. Zambia has actively promoted investment collaborations with Gulf countries while pursuing new commercial agreements and infrastructure projects.
Mining investments deepen UAE-Zambia economic relations
Mining remains a major component of UAE-related investments in Zambia. In 2024, Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding acquired a 51% stake in Mopani Copper Mines, with ZCCM Investments Holdings retaining the remaining 49%. In July 2025, International Resources Holding announced it had invested over $1.1 billion in Mopani since taking control. Mopani’s operations include mining and processing facilities across Zambia’s Copperbelt, notably at Nkana and Mufulira.
The September meeting emphasized the importance of the UAE-Zambia economic partnership within the bilateral agenda. 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 of understanding added a commercial dimension to the visit. As of September 30, the CEPA itself remained unsigned, with no official timeline set for completion, while discussions continued to focus on investment and business collaborations between the two nations.