President Museveni Concludes UAE Visit with Key Memorandum of Understanding Signed in Health and Transport Sectors
President Yoweri Museveni concluded a four-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, marked by the signing of two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at boosting Uganda’s health and transport sectors.
President Museveni’s four-day working visit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE ended Thursday 16.01.2025 with Uganda signing two key Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with UAE officials. The two agreements signed separately under the observance of Mr. Museveni, will see the UAE government invest in Uganda’s health and transport sectors.
The first MoU which involves the construction of the Emirates Eye Hospital in Entebbe was signed by Mr Vincent Bagiire, Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, and Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Affairs and International Organisations signed on behalf of the UAE.
“The second MOU pertains to investment cooperation in the rail and transport sector and was signed by Hon Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the Attorney General, on behalf of the Government of Uganda. His Excellency Mohammed Hassan Al Suwaidi, Minister of Investment, signed the MOU on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates,” the statement reads.
President Museveni who traveled to UAE on January 14 to attend the 4th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, concluded his visit by visiting Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, the Supreme Council Member of the UAE and ruler of Sharjah.
During the meeting, the two leaders, according to the statement, discussed matters of mutual interest between Uganda and Sharjah.
“The President expressed his gratitude for the support provided by his host towards various development initiatives in Uganda, particularly the construction of an international airport near Kidepo Valley National Park, which is expected to significantly boost the tourism sector in the region,” the statement reads
“The Ruler of Sharjah, while presenting a sketch map of Kidepo Airport, thanked President Museveni for his visit and commended his efforts in transforming Uganda’s economy,” it adds.
The two leaders’ meeting came a day after Mr Museveni urged investors at the sustainability week to invest in virgin Uganda.
“We, therefore, invite investors from the world to help us do the rapid transformation of our economy and society as they also benefit because the [internal rate of return] (IRR) in Uganda is 14.1 percent. Uganda is now classified as a lower-middle-income country. It will however rapidly grow into a high middle-class country and eventually into a fast-world country. To achieve these goals, we need to add value to the large spectrum of our agricultural raw materials like coffee, bananas, fruits, cotton, oil seeds, cassava, maize, tea, dairy, beef, poultry products, fish, forest products, sugar as well as mineral products,” he said on January 15.
He added, “I would like therefore, to assure investors from outside Africa that the Africans have already laid down a lucrative market. When you invest in Uganda or any of the other African countries, you have the assurance of this huge and growing market. The population of Africa will be 2.5 billion people in the next 25 years. The population of Uganda will be 106 people by that time,”
