UAE president lands in Eastern Cape on 20m runway he built for himself and his entourage

• Five hundred people from the UAE, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived in the Eastern Cape this week.
• The UAE royal family, staff and top artists are expected to celebrate the end of Ramadan in the province.
• The wealthy ruler is on vacation in the country and will be staying at a private gaming resort he owns.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Abu Dhabi, was with his family on Wednesday at a building he built with his own money. The 20 million rand runway landed in the Eastern Cape.

The wealthy ruler is in the country with an entourage of 500, including other members of the UAE royal family, staff and top artists, who are expected to perform for the family to mark the end of Ramadan.

The royal family and their guests are said to have brought their own furniture, cars and gym equipment during their two-week stay in the Eastern Cape.

Read also | Will a political deal save South Africa? Steenhuisen, Mashaba, et al feature prominently at News24 Summit

The UAE President landed in Bissau on Wednesday, along with Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, members of the UAE royal family, staff and artists on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday Nearby Brembus Airport.

Al Nahyan landed on the royal private jet at around 14:00 on Wednesday and was immediately airlifted by one of the five helicopters he brought into the country on a cargo plane.

One of the helicopters is an air ambulance, another will be used by protection forces, one transports the president while the other two have supplies.

A government official said:

We’ve taken in 500 people in the Eastern Cape since Sunday. That’s because the president brought his family and staff, including protectors, doctors and entertainers. On Wednesday alone, there were 15 air traffic movements at the airport.

“I can confirm that there have been no incidents since Sunday and we have not violated any air traffic regulations.”

Al Nahyan will spend two weeks at a private gaming resort he built from scratch earlier this year after buying a large piece of land in the province two years ago, high-level sources said.

While many were shocked that international flights landed at an airport that was decommissioned decades ago, News24 can reveal that the private jets of the UAE rulers, cargo planes and Emirates airlines use the airport because the planes were too large Gqeberha’s Chief The runways and turning circles at Dawid Stuurman International Airport are very important. Gqeberha Airport is the only international air port of entry in the Eastern Cape.

The UAE ruler asked to land at an airport near his Eastern Cape resort.

read | 10 years after Waterkloof’s Guptas, UAE royals quietly land on South African military base

Bulembu Airport, the only airport in Ciskei’s hometown, was decommissioned in the 1990s. It is the only airport in the province that has the potential to be improved to meet UAE aircraft standards.

To accommodate the runway for the planes, the UAE President has invested R20 million in expanding the runway and refurbishing the airport, which is occupied by the SA military’s airborne infantry unit and SAPS Airwing.

Eastern Cape Governor Oscar Mabuyane applied to the Ministry of the Interior to declare Bulembu Airport as a port of entry for UAE tourists arriving directly from the country.

The UAE’s interest followed Mabuyane’s visit to the oil-rich country in March, where he met Mubadala Investment Group and ADNOC.

At the time, Mabuyane announced his aim to explore trade and investment opportunities, as well as potential collaborations in areas of mutual interest such as renewable and green energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, agro-processing and industrialization.

A government official familiar with the matter said: “He (the UAE president) is on a private vacation. We are building a relationship with him. Our guests have told us they want a private vacation and we have agreed.

“We noticed that we were not dealing with people who were interested in PowerPoint presentations and slides. These were people who were interested in experiencing the Eastern Cape,” he added.

He said that after the UAE ruler informed Mabuyane of his plans for the visit, the provincial government “did all their strength and complied with all legislation and laws to facilitate the visit. He came here with his family, including his children”.

The official revealed that the UAE’s interest in South Africa was sparked by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the country and Saudi Arabia in 2018, where he brokered a $20 billion (£36.4 billion) deal between the two countries. billion rand) financial commitment.