President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday evening welcomed His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at State House Entebbe during a one-day official visit to Uganda.
In his remarks, President Museveni extended warm greetings to Sheikh Abdullah and commended the UAE for its longstanding friendship and cooperation with Uganda.
“I welcome you to Uganda and thank you and your government for being ready to work with us,” President Museveni said.
“Our ties with the Arab world go way back—starting with North Africa in the 1950s during our independence struggle, and later engaging with countries like Egypt, Algeria, Libya, and culturally with Saudi Arabia.”
He recalled his 2014 visit to the UAE, noting the vast potential for collaboration in manufacturing, agro-processing, mineral development, infrastructure, tourism, and defence.
The President urged UAE companies to explore investment opportunities in Uganda, especially in road toll infrastructure, to enhance regional trade connectivity with neighbouring markets.
Sheikh Abdullah conveyed greetings from the UAE leadership and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening trade relations and development partnerships with Uganda. He emphasised the UAE’s interest in working jointly toward sustainable growth and prosperity for both nations.
The meeting concluded with the signing of six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to bolster bilateral cooperation. These include: Works and Transport, Diplomatic Training and Capacity Building, Visa Exemption Agreement, Joint Development Agreement, E-Government and Digital Transformation and Investment Protection.
The visit marks a significant step forward in strengthening the diplomatic and economic ties between Uganda and the UAE.
