Zambia’s strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) received a major boost today following a high-level bilateral meeting between President Hakainde Hichilema and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Shakhbout Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, at State House in Lusaka.
The engagement reaffirmed the deepening ties between the two nations, with a shared commitment to fostering mutually beneficial cooperation across key economic sectors, including mining, energy, agriculture, and tourism.
“Our government-to-government partnership continues to grow from strength to strength,” President Hichilema said in a statement following the talks. “These collaborations are aimed at unlocking tangible economic benefits, creating jobs, promoting entrepreneurship, and generating business opportunities for our people.”
President Hichilema emphasized that the relationship between Zambia and the UAE is not only rooted in investment and trade, but also in building sustainable development frameworks, particularly through human capital development.
“We highly commend the UAE’s commitment to training our public service workforce,” he added. “This aligns with our national vision to provide public services that are not only effective and efficient but also timely—breaking away from the bureaucratic inefficiencies of the past.”
The UAE has emerged as one of Zambia’s fastest-growing foreign partners, with investments already flowing into renewable energy projects and agribusiness ventures. Officials from both countries are expected to formalize additional agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in infrastructure and technology in the months ahead.
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Partnership, that’s what we all would like to hear. No more stuff like aid or anything to do with handouts.
Yeah Yeah Yeah :
Yeah Tikki , this UAE has a GDP of $545bn while Zambia is at $29bn and stagnant.
When do we see the trickle down effect to the common man to this so called boost to the strategic partnership. Remember you are in your 4th year and the common man has been waiting
The common man is still waiting for the trickle down effect. Not seen anything so far
I hope its not like the much publicised Chisamba solar project which has not reduced loadshedding not even by 1 minute
THE IRONY IS UAE IS A DICTATORSHIP YET HAS ESTABLISHED THE RULE OF LAW – ZAMBIA IS A ‘DEMOCRACY’ ON PAPER BUT IS RUN LIKE A CRIME SYNDICATE
So we have a situation where the UPND government has visibly lamented failed to change the lives of Zambians, infact the cost of living has escalated ever since they took over, and on the other hand you have an opposition with no tangible economic plan. And a public and private media which is flat and not asking politicians on what they will do if elected but most importantly on how they will do it. When UPND in opposition was making those unrealistic promises, nobody asked how, hence our current situation
Lamentable failure by my party. To demonstrate total disconnect, still talking of free education which in reality nobody voted for. People voted for end to losdshedding, reduced food prices, industries to create jobs, not civil service jobs which just gobble the meager public resources. We are at cross roads and one wonders where the self praise is coming from.