Abu Dhabi President, Hakainde Hichilema, has underscored the need for mining companies to give full effect to Zambia’s Local Content law so that more Zambians can participate in and benefit from the mining sector, reaffirming his government’s commitment to ensuring the country’s natural resources, copper chief among them, deliver real benefits to citizens.

Hichilema made the call during a meeting with Ali Rashed Alrashdi, Chief Executive Officer of International Resources Holding (IRH), the UAE-based company that owns a 51 per cent stake in Mopani Copper Mines alongside ZCCM-IH, on the sidelines of his two-day working visit to Abu Dhabi on Monday, September 28, 2026.

The President said raising Zambia’s copper production to three million tonnes a year is central to the Grow Zambia agenda, and that Mopani Copper Mines is key to achieving that target for the benefit of its shareholders and the Zambian people. “Raising copper production to three million tonnes a year is central to our Grow Zambia agenda, and Mopani Copper Mines is key to reaching that target,” Hichilema said.

During the meeting, he said they underscored the need for mining companies to give full effect to the Local Content law to ensure more Zambians participate in and benefit from the mining sector. Hichilema reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that natural resources, copper chief among them, deliver real benefits to Zambians as it implements the Grow Zambia agenda.

The Local Content Regulations came into effect on January 1, 2026, through Statutory Instrument No. 68 of 2025. The regulations, issued on October 14, 2025, apply to the procurement of core mining goods and services by mining and mining-related companies.

Under the framework, mining companies are required to allocate an increasing share of core procurement to Zambian-owned and citizen-empowered companies, beginning at 20 per cent in 2026 and gradually rising to not less than 40 per cent within five years.

The regulations also provide for a 15 per cent price preference for local companies during the financial evaluation of bids for core mining goods and services.

All non-core mining services — including catering, security, haulage and other ancillary services — have been reserved exclusively for local firms. Mining companies are also required to develop supplier development programmes encompassing training, mentorship, access to finance and technology transfer, with a minimum of 0.05 per cent of annual procurement expenditure allocated to such initiatives.

State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka said evidence from major mining companies already demonstrates the positive impact of the policy on local economic participation.

First Quantum Minerals spent more than $2.1 billion on Zambian suppliers in 2025, supporting over 1,500 local businesses across the country. Barrick Lumwana Mine procured goods and services worth $356 million from Zambian companies during the first half of 2025, accounting for 73 per cent of its total purchases. More than 2,500 Zambians and 535 local companies were engaged on the Kansanshi S3 Expansion Project.

“The regulations were introduced to guarantee that Zambians, especially local suppliers and entrepreneurs, directly benefit from mining activities and participate meaningfully in the sector’s value chain,” Hamasaka said.

The push for full implementation of the Local Content law comes as Zambia seeks to expand its mining sector and increase copper output to three million tonnes annually by 2031. Hichilema’s engagement with IRH in Abu Dhabi is part of a broader effort to attract investment into the mining sector while ensuring that the benefits of increased production flow to Zambian businesses and workers.

Mining and mineral value addition are among the priority areas identified for investment and joint ventures during the President’s UAE visit. IRH acquired a 51 per cent stake in Mopani in March 2024, with ZCCM-IH retaining 49 per cent. The company says its investment is aimed at revitalising and modernising Mopani and has set production expansion targets for the mine.

Hichilema’s meeting with Alrashdi places Mopani directly within the government’s wider ambition to raise national copper production to three million tonnes annually, with local content implementation serving as the mechanism to ensure that growth translates into tangible benefits for Zambians.