FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ABU DHABI, 29th September 2026 – The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that the Government of the Republic of Zambia has signed a US$2 billion agreement to build a Medical City in Lusaka, positioning the country as southern Africa’s centre of excellence in health
tourism. The Minister of Health, Professor Roma Chilengi, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Government of Zambia with DIHAD Sustainable Project Management L.L.C at the UAE-Zambia Business Forum. The function was officiated by President Hakainde Hichilema. Eng. Khaled Al Attar signed on behalf of DIHAD.
For years, Zambians have travelled abroad for complex treatment at a great cost to families and Government. The Medical City will reverse that flow, keeping our patients at home and drawing patients from across the region.
Located in Lusaka’s Airport City, the Medical City will house a National Paediatric Cardiac Centre and a National Renal Transplant and Kidney Disease Centre. It will build on our existing radiotherapy services with expanded oncology, cancer diagnostics and research. It will also offer robotic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, maternal and child health and rehabilitation, alongside a hospital, university and school to train the next generation of Zambian specialists.
Around the hospital will rise a convention centre, auditorium, outdoor theatre, three-, four-, and five-star hotels, hotel apartments, offices, shops, wellness and sports facilities, parks and homes.
This project directly supports the Grow Zambia Agenda and its target of five million tourist arrivals annually. Health tourists and their families will fill our hotels and spend in the local economy. The project will also attract foreign investment and create jobs in construction, health and hospitality.
Under the agreement, DIHAD will work with a multi-sectoral Government team on the planning, design and management of the project. Together, they will identify and select the partners and investors who will bring the Medical City to life.
Until the Medical City opens, DIHAD will help Zambian patients access treatment in the UAE through competitively priced packages. The MoU carries no financial commitment for Government.
The hospital and training hub will be built first, so that Zambians benefit as early as possible.
Original Signed
MINISTER OF HEALTH
