Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema used his first trip abroad since his re-election last month to tell Gulf investors to fully comply with the country’s local procurement rules, he said.
Zambia is Africa’s second-largest producer of copper, whose prices have soared as demand rises for metals used in electric vehicles and power grids. Hichilema’s stance matches that of regional rivals who are trying to use the scramble for critical minerals to drive economic development.
Regulations introduced a year ago require mines to source a higher share of core goods and services locally. During his trip, Hichilema met Ali Rashed Alrashdi, CEO of an Abu Dhabi-based owner of Mopani mine, one of Zambia’s oldest copper mines. In a Facebook post, he urged Mopani to raise output as Zambia pushes to more than triple copper output to 3 million tonnes by 2030. Critics say the drive to buy local goods can inflate costs where domestic suppliers lack capacity, opening the door to middlemen who resell imports.
During the visit, Zambia signed six non-binding agreements worth $2.14 billion with UAE investors, covering healthcare, renewable energy, logistics, and technology.
