UAE And Lesotho Move To Deepen Bilateral Cooperation

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates and Lesotho have pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and broaden cooperation across a range of sectors following talks between senior officials in Abu Dhabi.

UAE Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan met Lesotho’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Limpho Justice Tau, with the two sides discussing ways to develop bilateral ties in pursuit of shared interests.

The officials also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Sheikh Shakhboot reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to enhancing relations with the Kingdom of Lesotho and expanding cooperation across various fields, saying stronger ties could contribute to the development and prosperity of both countries.

Tau, meanwhile, welcomed the existing relationship between the two countries and said Lesotho was committed to expanding cooperation with the UAE and strengthening the partnership.

The meeting comes as the UAE has been increasing its economic and commercial engagement with African countries, including in southern Africa.

In June, Dubai Chambers held discussions with Lesotho Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane and a delegation of senior Lesotho ministers in Johannesburg on strengthening trade and investment flows between the two sides. The discussions involved officials responsible for trade, natural resources, and information and communications technology. 

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The UAE Embassy in Pretoria has also previously engaged the Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry on investment opportunities and ways of expanding economic cooperation, highlighting the growing focus on private-sector links between the UAE and the Mountain Kingdom. 

For Lesotho, deeper engagement with the UAE could provide opportunities to diversify sources of investment and expand economic partnerships beyond its traditional regional relationships.

The country remains heavily integrated with South Africa, on which it relies for about 80 per cent of its imports, while around 45 per cent of its exports are destined for the South African market, according to the World Bank. 

The latest UAE-Lesotho talks did not announce specific new agreements or investment commitments. Instead, the meeting signals an intention by both governments to build on existing relations and identify areas where greater cooperation can deliver economic and development benefits.

The engagement also reflects a broader push by the UAE to deepen commercial and investment links across Africa, with the Gulf state increasingly positioning itself as a source of capital and a partner in sectors ranging from logistics and infrastructure to agriculture, technology and healthcare. 

For Maseru and Abu Dhabi, the emphasis now appears to be on translating political goodwill into practical areas of cooperation that can strengthen trade, investment and wider bilateral ties.