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. The main focus of their talks was on expanding trade, boosting investment, renewable energy, and infrastructure collaboration. The leaders also examined ongoing negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Zambia. Hichilema’s visit came shortly after beginning his second term as president, marking the continuation of a series of high-level interactions between the two nations during 2026.
Sheikh Mohamed extended congratulations to Hichilema on his new presidential term and highlighted the longstanding relationship between their countries. Both leaders explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in economic development and diversification efforts. Discussions also covered ways to broaden connections between government agencies and private sector enterprises. Diplomatic ties between the UAE and Zambia have lasted over fifty years, with recent talks increasingly emphasizing investment, mining, energy, infrastructure, and wider 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 spanned multiple sectors, though officials have not provided a detailed project-by-project breakdown. The discussion also involved strategies to enhance bilateral trade through a comprehensive economic partnership framework. The UAE-Zambia CEPA remains under negotiation, with no official signing date announced during the presidential meeting.
CEPA negotiations are part of broader economic cooperation efforts
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 reached completion, and neither side had disclosed final tariff schedules or detailed provisions. The trade discussions are part of wider dialogues involving renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, and investment sectors. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema addressed these areas during their Abu Dhabi meeting, building on similar topics discussed earlier this year by officials from both nations.
In March, UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan met with Hichilema in Lusaka. Their conversations covered trade, investment, mining, and renewable energy. Later, Sheikh Shakhboot returned to Zambia for Hichilema’s September inauguration, delivering greetings from the UAE president. These meetings contributed to ongoing government engagement prior to the Abu Dhabi visit. Zambia has also been promoting investment partnerships with Gulf countries and pursuing new commercial agreements and infrastructure projects.
Mining investments deepen UAE-Zambia economic ties
Mining remains a key aspect 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%. As of 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 in Zambia’s Copperbelt, such as those at Nkana and Mufulira.
The September discussions placed a spotlight on the economic relationship between the UAE and Zambia. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema explored trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, and development cooperation amid ongoing CEPA negotiations. Zambia’s declaration of $2.14 billion in memoranda underscored the commercial dimension of the visit. As of September 30, the CEPA itself remained unsigned, with no official timeline for completion, though negotiations on investment and business collaboration persisted between the two governments.