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 agenda included trade, investment, renewable energy, and infrastructure collaboration. The leaders also examined negotiations surrounding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Zambia. Hichilema’s visit came weeks after beginning his second term as president. This meeting marked the continuation of a series of high-level exchanges between the two governments during 2026.
Sheikh Mohamed extended congratulations to Hichilema on his new presidency and discussed the longstanding relationship between their nations. Both heads of state explored opportunities to bolster economic growth and diversification. They also considered strategies to enhance links between government agencies and private sector entities. Diplomatic relations between the UAE and Zambia have spanned over fifty years, with recent discussions increasingly emphasizing investment, mining, energy, infrastructure, and broader commercial cooperation.
Hichilema’s visit further 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. Additionally, Hichilema discussed strategies to boost bilateral trade through a comprehensive economic partnership framework. The ongoing UAE-Zambia CEPA negotiations remained unresolved during the presidential meeting, with no official signing date announced.
CEPA negotiations continue within broader economic cooperation efforts
Both governments characterized the proposed CEPA as a framework designed to expand economic collaboration across public and private sectors. As of September 30, negotiations had not been finalized, and neither side disclosed detailed tariff schedules or specific provisions. These trade discussions are part of wider talks encompassing renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, and investment. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema addressed these sectors during their meeting in Abu Dhabi, following earlier discussions on similar priorities earlier this year.
In March, UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan met with Hichilema in Lusaka. Their talks covered trade, investment, mining, and renewable energy. Sheikh Shakhboot later returned to Zambia for Hichilema’s September inauguration and delivered greetings from the UAE president. These engagements contributed to ongoing government contact prior to the Abu Dhabi visit. Zambia has also been actively seeking investment partnerships with Gulf nations while pursuing new commercial agreements and infrastructure projects.
Mining investments deepen UAE-Zambia economic relations
Mining remains a key 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%. As of July 2025, International Resources Holding reported investing over $1.1 billion in Mopani since acquiring control. Mopani’s operations include mining and processing facilities in Zambia’s Copperbelt, notably at Nkana and Mufulira.
The September meeting placed a spotlight on the economic partnership between the UAE and Zambia. Sheikh Mohamed and Hichilema discussed trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, and development cooperation alongside ongoing CEPA negotiations. Zambia’s declaration of $2.14 billion in memoranda added a commercial dimension to the visit. As of September 30, the CEPA remained unsigned, with no official timeline for completion, while discussions on investment and business collaboration persisted between both nations.