United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Ethiopia on Friday for an official visit, state news agency WAM reported.

Upon his arrival at Bole Addis Ababa International Airport, in the country’s capital of Addis Ababa, Sheikh Mohamed was greeted by Dr Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, WAM said.

The visit is aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries and to bolster cooperation across a number of fields.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohamed and his delegation will hold a series of engagements with the Ethiopian side to highlight opportunities for cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, food security, energy, trade, investment, and technology.

An official reception ceremony was held in honour of the UAE President, featuring the national anthems of both the UAE and Ethiopia, accompanied by a salute of 21 artillery rounds as a tribute to his visit.

As the UAE President’s plane entered Ethiopian airspace, a group of celebratory war-planes accompanied it to welcome his arrival. A formation of honour guards then stood united, offering a warm welcome to Sheikh Mohamed.

A procession, joined by horsemen on horseback, also marked the UAE President’s arrival while a group of children chanted greetings while waving the flags of the two countries.

Al-Arabiya