President Cyril Ramaphosa will this week hold bilateral talks with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ahead of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) opening ceremony on Tuesday.

Ramaphosa arrived in the UAE on Monday, with Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola; Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau; and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi.

Spokesperson to the President, Vincent Magwenya, said the ADSW 2026, held under the theme ‘Nexus of Next: All Systems Go’, will see the global sustainability community undertake dialogues to foster cross-sector collaboration and deliver solutions to advance sustainable development worldwide.

He said Ramaphosa will attend the opening ceremony as well as the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, which celebrates 11 winners driving real-world impact in health, food, energy, water, climate action and global high schools.

Ramaphosa is also scheduled to participate in the Heads of State Panel discussion on the topic: “A vision for Global Energy”.

“In addition, he will also participate in a high-level session titled: Next Leap: Global South Infrastructure, which will focus on accelerating bankable, scalable infrastructure investment across the Global South,” said Magwenya.

South Africa maintains cordial bilateral relations with the UAE, with regular high-level visits and economic cooperation.

Magwenya said the UAE is a major investor in the South African economy across transport, logistics and renewable energy.

He noted that in advancing discussion on economic transformation, ethical governance, and youth empowerment, Ramaphosa will address the Youth 4 Sustainability Forum and Hub, under the theme Leading the Just Transition: Youth, Skills, and Inclusive Growth.

During his visit, Ramaphosa will also engage with captains of the industry and business leaders to promote investment and strengthen collaboration.