Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Abu Dhabi, has arrived in the Eastern Cape of South Africa with his family and an entourage of 500 people, according to News24's report.
They are expected to stay for two weeks at a private game resort he built from scratch earlier this year after purchasing a large piece of land in the province two years ago. To accommodate their arrival, Al Nahyan pumped about R20 million into extending the runway and renovations at the decommissioned Bulembu Airport, which is occupied by the SA military's airborne infantry unit and the SAPS Airwing.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane applied to the Department of Home Affairs to declare Bulembu Airport a port of entry for the UAE visitors to land directly from their country. The UAE president and his guests have brought their own furniture, cars, and gym equipment for their stay.
During their visit, they will mark the end of Ramadan with performances by top artists. The interest from the UAE follows Mabuyane's March visit to the oil-rich country, where he met with Mubadala Investment Group, as well as Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
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