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Zambia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement worth US$2.14 billion to be implemented across various sectors of the economy.
President Hakainde Hichilema, who attended the Zambia-UAE Business Forum in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday where the agreements were signed, expressed optimism that the deal would contribute to increased trade between the two countries.
He said Zambia was committed to strengthening economic ties with the UAE as the country seeks to attract investment, expand trade and accelerate economic growth.
“Zambia has much to learn from the UAE’s experience in using its natural resources to develop the economy and improve the living standards of its people,” Hichilema stated.
He noted that Zambia’s rich natural-resource base provided an opportunity to pursue similar economic transformation through increased investment, trade and domestic reforms.
Read More: Hichilema heads to UAE on investment drive
Hichilema said the government’s Grow Zambia Agenda sought to double the size of the Zambian economy, with expected benefits including increased revenue for public services, more employment opportunities and expanded business opportunities for Zambians.
“The government will continue to prioritise increased trade and domestic reforms aimed at creating an environment capable of attracting the investment required to grow the Zambian economy,” he said.
He described the visit to Abu Dhabi as significant, noting that, as in 2021, his first trip abroad after the elections had brought him to the UAE.
Hichilema further expressed gratitude to UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the invitation.
He reaffirmed Zambia’s readiness to engage with investors, stating that the country remained “open and ready for business and investment.”
Meanwhile, Zambia has signed a US$2 billion agreement with United Arab Emirates-based company DIHAD Sustainable Project Management L.L.C. to develop a Medical City in Lusaka, the Ministry of Health said.
Under the agreement, DIHAD will work with a multi-sectoral government team on the planning, design and management of the project, as well as identify and select partners and investors.
The Medical City will be located in Lusaka’s Airport City and will include a National Paediatric Cardiac Centre and a National Renal Transplant and Kidney Disease Centre, Health Minister Professor Roma Chilengi said.
Chilengi signed the agreement on behalf of the government, while Khaled Al Attar signed for DIHAD during the United Arab Emirates-Zambia Business Forum, officiated by President Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday.
“For years, Zambians have travelled abroad for complex treatment at great cost to families and Government. The Medical City will reverse that flow, keeping our patients at home and drawing patients from across the region,” he stated.
Chilengi said the project would build on existing radiotherapy services by expanding oncology, cancer diagnostics and research. It would also offer robotic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, maternal and child health and rehabilitation.
The Medical City will also include a hospital, university and school aimed at training the next generation of Zambian specialists, he said.
Around the hospital, the development will include a convention centre, auditorium, outdoor theatre, three-, four- and five-star hotels, hotel apartments, offices, shops, wellness and sports facilities, parks and residential housing.
“The project directly supports the Grow Zambia Agenda and its target of five million tourist arrivals,” Chilengi said.
He said health tourists and their families would fill hotels and spend in the local economy, while the project would attract foreign investment and create jobs in construction, healthcare and hospitality.
Chilengi said that before the Medical City opens, DIHAD would help Zambian patients access treatment in the UAE through competitively priced packages, adding that the agreement carries no financial commitment for the government.
“The hospital and training hub will be built first so that Zambians benefit as early as possible,” he said.
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