UAE royal receives top Uganda medal for socio-economic contributions

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has awarded Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Jumah Al Maktoum of the UAE the Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane 1st Class Medal. This honour was given in recognition of Sheikh Mohammed’s significant contributions to the East African country’s socio-economic development.

The award ceremony took place at Mpenja Church of Uganda Primary School playgrounds in Gomba District during the 35th Heroes’ Day celebrations yesterday. Sheikh Mohammed, a prominent businessman and member of the Dubai royal family, was among 49 individuals honoured for their efforts in Uganda’s development.

United Arab Emirates Prince Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was awarded Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane first class by President @KagutaMuseveni during today's Heroes Day in Gomba district.

📸 @francis_isano #HeroesDay24 #NBSUpdates pic.twitter.com/N90hVnTbE8

— NBS Television (@nbstv) June 9, 2024

Sheikh Mohammed expressed his deep affection for Uganda upon his arrival in the country, stating: “Uganda has become my second home, and the people of Uganda are my second family.” He also highlighted several ambitious projects aimed at enhancing Uganda’s infrastructure and economy, including a 60,000 barrel per day oil refinery, a logistics hub at Entebbe International Airport, and a fruit processing hub in Bukalasa.

“We want to build an oil refinery in Uganda that will help the country to benefit from her oil wealth. We are also working to revive the Uganda air cargo, and the first aircraft has arrived today,” he said.

Uganda recently partnered with Sheikh Mohammed’s Alpha MBM Investments LLC to develop a $4.5 billion refinery after terminating a previous agreement with the Albertine Graben Energy Consortium.

Uganda’s exports to the UAE have surged from $300 million in 2018 to $2 billion by 2022, with significant foreign direct investment flowing into Uganda from the UAE. The Gulf state accounts for approximately 94 per cent of all Ugandan exports to the Middle East, with key exports including gold, fish and coffee.

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