Ugandans at the Dubai Expo 2020 are marketing what we have

By David Serumaga

John Miller once said , ‘A good leader is a great marketer and good marketing means consistently delivering real value to customers.’ There is a group of Ugandans including some opposition politicians that have been ridiculing and criticizing Uganda’s delegation in the 2020 Dubai Expo from an uninformed point. 

Firstly, they criticized His Excellency the President, and the Ministers who participated in the 2020 Dubai Expo asserting that going to Dubai was just to enjoy tax payers’ money.

They went ahead to disparage what we are showcasing in the Expo and also comparing it to other countries like Rwanda that had pavilion visitors tour their country virtually using Artificial Intelligence.  

I would like to commend our neighbour (Rwanda) for her improvement in technological advancement. However, I will strongly appreciate our delegation led by President Yoweri Museveni for their strategic move of marketing Uganda as a secure country; ripe for investment, ready for profit-driven business, and promoting Uganda’s products to the world which our neighbors could not afford to showcase. 

Ugandans should realise that this was not just a matter of the product as the most important aspect of their business but also marketing Uganda to the world. When His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received President Museveni for the Dubai Expo 2020, he expressed interest in benefiting from H.E. Museveni’s leadership experience and knowledge, especially on security issues. This statement alone has attracted a lot of Dubai business community to come and invest in Uganda. 

The opposition-minded Ugandans did not understand that if Uganda had also showcased robots which means that all of us would be fighting for the same customers. In any case, people will always need to eat, unlike robotics that some countries prefer from first world countries.  

The logic behind this move was to promote what we have and can constantly produce to the world market. The sense of showcasing products means that you can carry a few products for when potential customers visit your production centre. It is for this same reason that our display had a few products of good quality with high levels of continuous exportation to the Dubai markets. 

The Ugandan delegation at the Expo held a Business Forum Meeting with the United Arab Emirates business community and discussed matters of trade, business, investment, and tourism.
 
When he returned back from the working visit, he revealed that he had gone to Dubai to ‘Okusaka’ meaning to lobby for Ugandans; something which has resulted in various agreements being signed. In just a few days, Uganda Investment Authority has signed a deal worth US$4bn with investors interested in mining, renewable energy, agriculture, business parks, pharmaceuticals, construction, storage terminals, fruit processing, infrastructure project, and commercial farming. 

When we showcase our coffee, it is a good promotion strategy because about 3.5 million people derive their livelihood from the coffee sector. Coffee also contributes nearly 30% of our total export earnings. In terms of taste, it is the most highly demanded Ugandan product in Dubai, America, Netherlands, China, and many more countries. 

Uganda’s fresh fruits and vegetables are also steadily increasing on the export earning of the country because there is a huge demand for our foodstuff in the Middle East and Europe.

However, opposition-minded people should be advised not to criticize their motherland. The results of what is being showcased in the Dubai Expo 2020 are tangible and will benefit Ugandans. The team is marketing what we have and can continuously supply the world market. 

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