UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi on January 15, 2026, during a working visit that coincided with the Senegalese leader’s attendance at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, according to the Emirates News Agency. The discussions concentrated on expanding collaboration in the economy, trade, renewable energy, sustainability and infrastructure to advance development priorities for both countries. Senior UAE figures in attendance included Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President, and several ministers.
The two presidents reviewed the significance of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week as an international forum for addressing sustainability challenges and promoting innovative approaches to accelerate global progress, a WAM dispatch stated. They also shared perspectives on various regional and international topics of shared concern. Both sides reaffirmed their intent to build upon longstanding relations that have expanded steadily over decades, expressing a mutual desire to create fresh partnerships that support sustainable economic expansion.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade figures show non-oil bilateral trade between the countries reached $933 million in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 21.1 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. This growth contributes to wider UAE-Africa commerce, which totalled $112 billion in 2024 according to ministry data, representing a 34 percent rise from 2023. The UAE has positioned itself as the largest provider of new foreign direct investment to the African continent, directing more than $110 billion there from 2019 to 2024.
A high-level UAE delegation led by Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi visited Senegal in December 2025 and signed 13 memorandums of understanding in sectors such as energy, logistics, mining, digital technologies and healthcare, subsequent WAM reporting indicated. Those pacts followed presidential-level engagements and sought to stimulate private-sector links in alignment with UAE objectives for trade expansion across Africa. The minister conveyed greetings from UAE leadership and emphasised commitment to partnerships that foster mutual prosperity.
President Faye had extended congratulations to the UAE on its 53rd Eid Al Etihad during a prior meeting in December 2024, when the leaders similarly explored avenues to deepen investment and developmental coordination, according to an earlier Emirates News Agency account. Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan later delivered a written message from the UAE President to Senegal’s Prime Minister in July 2026, discussing further ways to strengthen ties across mutual interest areas. Such interactions have formed a consistent pattern that elevates bilateral engagement at multiple levels.
The latest presidential meeting reinforced the UAE’s established approach to forging developmental partnerships with African states, including Senegal, as a means to achieve common goals in sustainability and economic advancement, WAM noted. Officials from both nations continue to identify specific projects that can translate high-level commitments into tangible outcomes for their populations. Trade authorities project further expansion in bilateral flows as new agreements from the 2025 visit enter implementation.
