African nations bullish on Expo 2020

Almost all the African nations will participate in Dubai's Expo 2020 as bilateral relations between the UAE and African countries are growing economically, senior UAE officials said at the launch of the Global Business Forum on Africa 2017 in Dubai on Wednesday.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the event in the presence of over 1,000 top-level government and corporate decision-makers, including African heads of state, ministers and dignitaries, and the UAE government and business elite.
"As director general of Expo 2020, I have no doubt to say that the Expo will offer an opportunity to take our relationships (with Africa) to new heights. Our Expo visitors are expected to be primarily international coming from all over the world - including Africa. Almost all African nations have confirmed their participation and we are working closely with them to curate and programme exhibitions that are meaningful to contribute at all levels," said Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai.
"We are uniquely perched at the centre point between two great continents of Africa and Asia where fastest growing economies of the world today can be found. Today, Dubai not only serves as hub for commerce and trade between Arab World and African continent but also increased its footprint to lands in the East and South as well," she said.
A press statement issued by Expo 2020 last month said that 29 countries had signed official participation contracts. While 150 countries have already confirmed their intent to take part in the expo.
Among the participants attending the forum included presidents of Rwanda and Uganda, senior ministers and other business delegates from the UAE and African continent.
During a welcome address at the forum, Majid Saif Al Ghurair, chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Dubai has strengthened its position as global gateway for African companies, while the UAE continues to lead the GCC region in the volume of foreign investment flows into Africa.
"Evidence of these trends can be seen by looking at rapid rate at which the African business community has grown in the UAE. In fact, we have recently seen the number of African companies registering with Dubai Chamber grow to exceed 17,000 today, up 41 per cent compared to the last time we hosted the forum in 2015," he said during the conference which is aimed at exploring promising markets around the world for Dubai enterprises and businesses, highlight opportunity for public and private sector stakeholders and exchange valuable insights.
Being held under the theme of 'Next Generation Africa,' Al Ghurair pointed out that Africa's young and fast-growing population, along with its rising middle class, offer tremendous potential. The continent is experiencing an infrastructure boom which is creating plenty of trade and investment opportunities.
"Youth entrepreneurship is another important topic on the agenda is as it remains a key factor for maintaining Africa's rise. Much like young UAE nationals, young Africans are incredibly entrepreneurial and have their sights set on developing innovative solutions solve some of the continent's most pressing challenges," he said, adding that "we are confident that Africa's entrepreneurs will bring positive changes to Africa and usher in a new area of economic and social progress."
Over the last five years, Dubai Chamber has opened representative offices in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya to assist UAE companies that want to expand their footprint on the continent and also to attract African businesses to Dubai.
"We believe that the emirate's strategic goals can be aligned with Africa's ambitions as it enters a new phase of development. Dubai is keen to use its strategic location and status as a thriving business hub to contribute towards Africa's future growth," Al Ghurair said. -waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com