UAE Crown Prince Attends G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Announces Major AI Investment for Africa
JOHANNESBURG, 22 November 2025 – On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event convened leaders and heads of state from G20 member countries to address critical global economic issues.
During the summit’s opening session, themed “Building Economies; the Role of Trade; Financing for Development and the Debt Burden,” Sheikh Khaled delivered the UAE’s official statement.
Sheikh Khaled began by conveying the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to attending leaders and extended best wishes for the meeting’s success. He also expressed appreciation to Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, for inviting the UAE to participate.
The Crown Prince highlighted that the meeting “embodies the spirit of global partnership and supports stronger market interconnectedness and deeper economic integration across countries and regions.” Sheikh Khaled emphasized the UAE’s ongoing commitment to working with international partners to foster global economic cooperation and to lay a foundation for a balanced, transparent international trading system. He stressed the need for broader and more effective participation of developing countries in shaping the future of global trade.
In his remarks, Sheikh Khaled underscored the importance of accessing better financing solutions, accelerating developmental and investment projects in areas like advanced technology, energy, health, and agriculture, and maintaining a focus on capacity building, knowledge exchange, and empowering communities. He also referenced the aim to create high-quality economic opportunities that support inclusive development.
One of the summit’s most significant announcements came from the Crown Prince, who unveiled the UAE’s AI for Development initiative. This program will allocate $1 billion to finance artificial intelligence projects in African countries, targeting the advancement of economic and social development through stronger digital infrastructure, improved government services, increased productivity, and an enhanced quality of life.
In his closing words, Sheikh Khaled reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working with G20 partners to further global development and prosperity.
Accompanying Sheikh Khaled at the summit was an official delegation, including Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment; Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince; and Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Media Office and Advisor of Strategic Relations at the Crown Prince Court.
This summit marks the UAE’s sixth participation in the G20, following previous summits in Brazil (2024), India (2023), Indonesia (2022), Saudi Arabia (2020), and France (2011).
Team V.4-EM-UAE
