State Visit of the President of South Africa to the UAE

At the invitation of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa paid a State visit to the UAE on 13 July, 2018. President Ramaphosa’s first visit to the UAE marked the beginning of a new chapter in the long standing relations between South Africa and the UAE, and constitutes a step in further enriching the strong bilateral ties   between the two countries. 

On arrival in Abu Dhabi on 13 July, President Ramaphosa was accorded a ceremonial reception and was received by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. President Ramaphosa also met with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

On the centennial of the birth of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Nahyan, founder and first President of the UAE, and H.E. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, the leaders of the UAE and South Africa pledged to open a new chapter in bilateral relations. 

To this end, the leadership of the two countries reaffirmed their deep commitment to further consolidate their strong bilateral relations across a variety of fields, including trade, transport, infrastructure development, tourism, mining, investment, and cultural cooperation.

To support these efforts, a business forum was held between the UAE and South Africa, hosted by His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy.

The UAE announced its plans to invest USD 10 billion in key sectors of South Africa’s economy, such as tourism and mining among others, to support the sustainable development of the country. 

The UAE further welcomed South Africa’s positive role in supporting peace and stability on the African continent and the two sides pledged to work closely together in order to promote peace, stability, prosperity, and tolerance in Africa and the Middle East.
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President, on 072 854 5707.
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria