Abu Dhabi, UAE – The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Zambia discussed ways to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries during a meeting between His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, and His Excellency Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, at the Presidential Palace in Lusaka, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
During the meeting, Al Zeyoudi conveyed the greetings of the UAE leadership to the President of Zambia and their wishes for further progress and prosperity for the Zambian people. This came as part of his official visit to Zambia for the UAE Trade and Investment Days. He headed a delegation that included senior officials and business leaders.
Record growth in non-oil trade
Al Zeyoudi affirmed that Zambia is a key economic partner for the UAE in Africa. He noted that non-oil trade between the two countries reached $3.4 billion in 2025, reflecting a record growth of 64.5% compared to 2024. He explained that the discussions focused on stimulating trade, strengthening investment partnerships, and aligning shared economic priorities to support sustainable growth in both countries. He also emphasized the UAE’s commitment to enhancing its development partnerships with African nations to achieve mutual benefits.
Ministerial meetings and expanded meetings
The visit included a series of meetings with several Zambian government ministers and officials, focusing on expanding cooperation in the energy, finance, technology, agriculture, health, trade, and industry sectors, as well as exploring investment opportunities in priority sectors.
Al Zeyoudi also participated in a ministerial roundtable with members of the UAE delegation and their Zambian counterparts to discuss strengthening cooperation between the private sectors of both countries, facilitating trade, and supporting long-term investments.
The UAE delegation included representatives from the agriculture, mining, renewable energy, logistics, aviation, healthcare, digital economy, and infrastructure sectors. This reflects the growing interest in the Zambian market and its alignment with the UAE’s development priorities.
