ABU DHABI / RankWire.AI / – UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye held talks in Abu Dhabi on September 17. Faye was in the United Arab Emirates for a working visit. The leaders reviewed bilateral relations and discussed further cooperation between the UAE and Senegal. Their talks covered investment, economic ties and development. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Faye and discussed areas where the two countries already maintain active cooperation. Economic relations formed a major part of the meeting. The presidents examined opportunities linked to investment and development priorities in both countries. The discussions came during a period of regular official contact between Abu Dhabi and Dakar. UAE and Senegalese officials have held several meetings in 2026 focused on trade, investment, government cooperation and preparations for a major global water conference.
The leaders also discussed the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which the UAE and Senegal will co-host. The conference will take place in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 10. It will focus on accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6. The goal calls for universal access to water and sanitation and sustainable management of water resources. The event will bring together governments, international institutions, civil society, businesses and other participants involved in water policy.
Water conference takes prominent place in talks
The United Nations has organized six interactive dialogues for the December conference. The sessions will address water for people, prosperity, the planet, cooperation, multilateral processes and investment. Conference discussions will also cover financing, technology, innovation and capacity building. United Nations data show that about 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water. Around 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services. Those figures form part of the global development challenge addressed under Sustainable Development Goal 6.
The latest presidential meeting followed other economic discussions between the two countries this month. President Faye received UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dakar on September 4. Their talks covered ways to strengthen trade and investment relations and expand cooperation in priority sectors. The meeting included a UAE delegation and focused on commercial opportunities between the two economies. Both sides also discussed areas of common economic interest during the Dakar visit.
Senior officials continue bilateral engagement
During his visit to the UAE, Faye also met Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mansour serves as UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court. The two officials discussed cooperation in priority areas, particularly investment and development. They also reviewed ways to broaden the bilateral partnership and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. The meeting added another senior-level discussion to Faye’s working visit to the country.
The UAE and Senegal are also working together through the preparatory process for the December water conference. Senegal hosted a high-level preparatory meeting in Dakar earlier in 2026 as part of that process. The Abu Dhabi conference will include plenary sessions alongside its six interactive dialogues. Organizers have designed the program around the main elements of Sustainable Development Goal 6. The September 17 presidential talks connected that international agenda with ongoing UAE-Senegal cooperation in investment, economic development and bilateral relations.