The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said 5.12 billion AED worth of contracts have been awarded to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020 slated for October 1st, 2021 to March, 31st, 2022.
The UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Fahad Obaid Al Taffaq, while explaining the country’s commitment to the 2020 expo at a media chat on Thursday in Abuja stated that they have also accounted for 54percent of businesses registered with the Expo.
He further said 55 percent of all Expo 2020 contracts awarded to the sector, laying emphasis on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as key to future growth and job creation in the region.
He explained that the six-month long exhibition will be based on the theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, aimed at uniting and attracting the best of trade, innovation and products from all over the world to the UAE .
He said the three sub themes for Expo 2020 are Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, which each pavilion will reflect in their showcase of ingenuity adding that Hundreds of pavilions will showcase what makes each country unique with specifics of their contributions to a better future as visitors will get to experience ground-breaking inventions and ideas.
“This presents an opportunity to bring the world together in a spirit of hope and optimism and to help shape a better, post-pandemic future by inspiring new and exciting solutions to overcome some of the world’s most challenging issues.
“We are reaffirming the international community’s confidence in Dubai to deliver a truly remarkable event. This further highlights the facts that when we are united, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate that unity and solidarity that strengthens us.
Also, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment , Amb. Mariam Yalwaji Katagum said the global event is organized around a theme statement- “Connecting Minds, Creating the World”. T
She said the EXPO aims to connect and inspire millions of people from around the world to create a better future.
She said it is also a platform for the world to showcase innovation, achievements and aspirations while exploring the three sub-themes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
“Similarly, Nigeria’s participation in Dubai 2020 EXPO is anchored on a theme: “Harnessing Opportunity, Creating the Future”. Nigeria aims to showcase the abundant natural and human resources available in the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
“To this end, critical sectors of the Nigerian economy such as Agriculture, Manufacturing, Creative Industry, our Culture and youthful generation would be showcased to the world to tap into abundant opportunities available and to benefit from the Expo.
“It should be noted that, Nigeria’s pavilion is located at the “Opportunity Zone” of Dubai EXPO 2020 in line with Nigeria’s theme statement. The Nigerian Pavilion tagged the “Opportunity City” is a rich showcase of life in Nigeria, the culture and people through unique narratives and media, spotlighting five avenues, namely: Resilience, Enterprising, Respectful, Hardworking, Tech and Sports.
“Each of the avenues depicts the uniqueness of Nigeria. For instance, the Resilience of the Giant of Africa is illustrated through its enduring industry and passion for work to make a better life.
“The Hardworking nature of Nigerians is illustrated through the Manufacturing sector where people create and take advantage of opportunities in the sector.
“Nigerians are Enterprising people and this could be seen in the creative industry such as Nollywood films, Fashion and Afro-beat music which continue to enjoy global box-office success and prestigious awards.
“Nigerians are known for rich cultural heritage and value systems which command global respect. The Tech and Sport avenue highlights the truly Nigerian cutting edge technology, transforming lives and providing solutions to many industry challenges.
“ It is also a known fact, that Nigerians are sport lovers with abundant talents in various sports.The Nigerian pavilion is designed in Green, White and Green depicting our national colours,” she said .
