Dubai Expo 2021: Minister explains Uganda's four modes of participation

Umar Kashaka
Journalist @New Vision
Sep 22, 2021

Trade state minister Harriet Ntabazi has explained the four modes of Uganda’s participation at the World Expo trade convention in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ntabazi told New Vision on Wednesday that with the support of the government of UAE, Uganda has been offered a 213 sq. meter two-floor pavilion in the Opportunity Thematic District.

She said this is in line with Expo management’s “One Country, One Pavilion” policy.

“The pavilion will have the country exhibition on the ground floor; office and conference facilities on the upper floor,” she said.

She said October 3 is the day the Expo management has dedicated to the promotion of Uganda at the Expo, which opens its doors to exhibitors from over 190 countries on October 1.

“The day’s events include the official Government-to-Government ceremony in the morning and additional country promotion programmes in the afternoon. The official ceremony will be restricted to 50 delegates from Uganda and the UAE, respectively in compliance with the COVID-19 standard operating procedures,” Ntabazi said.

The additional country promotion programme will include business meetings, roadshow (flag procession), cultural performances and food tasting (culinary) experiences.

On October 5, the minister said the tourism, trade and investment promotional activities will also include a tourism, trade and investment forum, business-to-business, and business-to-government networking events.

She also said the Expo will run for a period of six months.

“As a country, we need to seize the opportunity to optimize our participation and visibility at the Expo. Uganda will ensure there are constant engagements between the participating countries and Government of Uganda and our private sector,” she said.

The six months’ programme includes business delegations, thematic weeks such as the livelihood and agriculture week in February 2022, market scoping activities and working visits to various businesses across Dubai and neighboring markets.

She said the ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives is the leading coordinator of Expo activities. 

   Uganda's four objectives

Ntabazi noted that Uganda is participating at the Expo that will end at the end of March next year for four objectives.

These include; to promote trade between Uganda and the greater Middle East market; to attract investments into projects in the sectors of infrastructure, mining, health, agriculture, real estate, energy, industrialization, oil and gas; to promote Uganda’s tourism which has won international recognition as a premium tourist destination and to enhance bilateral relations, especially with the organizers, the Government of UAE.

This will be the first world fair to be held in the Middle East after being delayed for a year by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the Middle East had a total import bill of $819.4b in 2020.

Uganda’s total exports to the Middle East last year were $1.9b which translates to 0.23% market share.

“Our participation in the Expo will increase our presence as well as the market share,” she said.

Priority products

The priority products Uganda shall promote at the Expo include coffee, black tea, cocoa, fish, and aquaculture products particularly Nile perch and tilapia, fruits including avocado, bananas, mangoes and pineapples, vegetables and spices including hot pepper (capsicums), ginger and cardamom.

Others are grains including kidney beans, mung beans and sesame, dairy products, especially milk powder and processed food products particularly dried fruits (mango, pineapple, papaya, and jackfruit).

Uganda’s ambassador to UAE Zaake W. Kibedi recently said with support from the rulers of UAE, readiness for the pavilion was at 90%.

While meeting officials of the trade, foreign affairs and tourism ministries, and the Uganda Expo Coordination Committee recently, President Yoweri Museveni directed the finance ministry to provide sh3b to finish the Ugandan pavilion in Dubai.

This money is yet to be provided.

The theme of Dubai expo is 'Connecting minds, creating the future', with the three sub-themes of mobility, opportunity, and sustainability. Uganda will take part under the opportunity sub-theme.

Vaccination against COVID-19

Expo 2020 Dubai said on September 15 that entry to the world fair for visitors over 18 years old would be restricted to those who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or had tested negative in the previous 72 hours.

"We will continue to follow the guidance of the leading science and medical experts, adjusting our measures as appropriate," Expo 2020 Dubai Director General Reem Al Hashimy said in a statement. 

"This enhanced measure is responsible, agile and necessary as we prepare to open our doors to the world."

For the Expo, the organisers said, vaccines recognised by a visitor's home country will be accepted, while polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 will be offered for free to ticket holders.

The 4.3sq km (1.7sq mile) Expo 2020 Dubai site was a desert when Dubai was chosen eight years ago to follow the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy.

Issam Kazim, the chief executive officer of Dubai Tourism, recently said they had increased their global marketing activities to reinforce the message that Dubai has completely regained its vibrancy and is the first choice destination for global travellers.

“With the industry registering steady growth in the first seven months of 2021, we are confident that together with our partners we can collectively leverage the prevailing optimism to further accelerate momentum during this landmark year of Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee,” he said. 

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