Cape Town — The UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and 500 of his entourage, including government officials, caused a stir in South Africa last week when they landed their private planes at Bulembu Airport in Bisho – a military base decommissioned in the 1990s.
Latest reports are that the Eastern Cape government is considering leasing the Bhisho airport to the president and the royal family.
Upgrades amounting to U.S.$1 million was paid for by the UAE president so that he could have easy access to his privately-owned game reserve, for a quiet holiday to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadaan on Saturday April 22, 2023.
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 airport is being seen as an opportunity to generate revenue and to create jobs for a province that has a very high unemployment rate. The UAE is known…