LUSAKA, 18th February, 2026 (WAM) -- Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, met Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, during an official visit to the capital Lusaka, which focused on expanding bilateral economic engagement.

Leading a high-level UAE business delegation as part of the UAE Trade and Investment Days, Al Zeyoudi also held discussions with senior government officials including Hon. Makozo Chikote, Minister of Energy; Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning; Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science; Reuben Mtolo Phiri, Minister of Agriculture; Dr. Elijah Muchima, Minister of Health and Chipoka Mulenga, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry. The meetings were designed to identify avenues to broaden trade cooperation and new investment activity across priority sectors.

During the visit, Al Zeyoudi also participated in a ministerial roundtable that brought together members of the UAE delegation and senior Zambian representatives to advance discussions on deepening sectoral collaboration and strengthening long-term economic connectivity.

The roundtable provided a platform to strengthen commercial ties through trade facilitation, supply-chain resilience and private-sector participation. The sides also discussed finalizing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to expand market access for goods and services, promote economic cooperation and facilitate investment in a more structured and forward-looking economic forum between the two countries.

Non-oil trade between the UAE and Zambia totaled US$3.4 billion in 2025, which represented a growth of 64.5% on the value recorded in 2024 and underscores the depth and scale of the economic relationship.

Al Zeyoudi said: "Zambia represents a significant economic partner for the UAE. Our discussions focused on expanding trade volumes, encouraging investment partnerships and aligning our economic priorities to support sustainable growth. The UAE is committed to reinforcing long-term economic engagement with Zambia building on the strong commercial momentum between our two nations and unlocking its next phase of growth."

The accompanying delegation included representatives from UAE industries across several priority sectors such as agriculture, mining, renewable energy, logistics, aviation, healthcare, digital economic and infrastructure, highlighting growing commercial interest in Zambia's market and reflecting Zambia's development priorities. The strong participation of the business delegation reinforces the role of business-led dialogue in advancing bilateral ties.

The visit forms part of the UAE's ongoing efforts to diversify global trade partnerships and strengthen engagement with high-growth markets. Both sides emphasized the importance of structured economic dialogue and private-sector collaboration in sustaining the strong trajectory of UAE-Zambia trade relations.