UAE President Al-Nahyan Visits Angola to Promote CEPA
A high-level delegation led by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan landed in Angola on Sunday 24 August 2025. The delegation included the Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs Sheikh bin Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun al Nahyuan, Deputy Prime Minister & Interior Minister Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al Nahyan, as well as several other ministers and officials.
UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan had a tête-à-tête with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. Both sides are committed to boost bilateral annual trade volume to USD 10 billion by 2033 by taking advantage of the newly concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (#CEPA).
In an interview with the media, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed al Zeyoudi highlighted that Angola is ‘one of the most promising countries’ in sub-Saharan Africa with a young population and abundant natural resources, notably hydrocarbons. Angola is also one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, registering a 4.4% #GDP growth in 2024.
Minister Al-Zeyoudi also underscored Angola’s is well-positioned to serve as a gateway to Southern Africa with seaports facing the Atlantic Ocean and the starting node of the #LobitoCorridor. Thus, he believes that Angola has the potential to develop into a pivotal logistics hub for the region.
Non-oil bilateral trade exceeded USD 2 billion in 2024, representing a 2.6% growth year-on-year. UAE non-oil exports to Angola amounted to USD 136 million and consist mostly of petroleum distillates, iron & steel, taps & valves, metal structure, cigarettes and perfumes. On the other way round, Angola exports to UAE comprise mostly of diamonds, gold, copper and grains.
President Al-Nahyan recounted that UAE has implemented several successful projects in Angola. The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, also known as Masdar, has built a 150 MW solar farm which powers 90,000 households. In addition, Dubai Investments is constructing the Dubai – Angola Investment Park over an area of 2,000 hectares. Abu Dhabi Ports Group started operating a multipurpose terminal at the Port of Luanda since January 2025.
Through its global network of Free Trade Agreements (#FTA), called CEPA, the UAE aims to boost international trade up to USD 1.1 trillion by 2033. The vision is to enhance UAE’s role as a Global Supply Chain (#GSC) hub and a key gateway linking the Arab world with Europe, Asia, and Africa.