Dubai 2020 Expo: Where are the dividends?

The stakes for an exposition happening far beyond Uganda’s borders has never been this high.  

The public’s interest in the Dubai Expo 2020 which was originally scheduled for October 20th to April 10th 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, speaks to the expectations of the World Expo, currently hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ms Barbara Mulwana, the chairman of the Presidential CEO Forum is coordinating the private sector including those who will be engaged over the next six months at the expo running from October 01, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

With the theme: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” President Museveni is content with country’s readiness to not only attract viable ventures but also compete for high stake deals at the expo.

So, what exactly is Uganda selling? Over the next six months, senior government officials from Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) will be negotiating and finalising investment deals as they market the country as a unique investment and tourism destination. So far, some $900 million (about Shs3.2 trillion) had been committed with targeted investment in agro-processing, healthcare, energy and transport sectors.  

Gifted by nature, Uganda has for long attracted international visitors for gorilla trekking, spectacular lakeside views and bird watching, not forgetting her rich range of coffees, and diverse culture.

Business opportunities

“The Dubai Expo 2020 is a huge opportunity for us to showcase business opportunities in the country and attract investors,” the Director General, UIA, Mr Robert Mukiza, said in an interview.

He continued: “With over 190 countries here, we will show them that Uganda is ready to do business and that we can be a partner for them to access the Continental Free Trade Area Market with a population of a billion people.”

Eligibility

But there has been outrage from a section of private sector players, many of whom thought they should have taken a lead role in the expo, clinching big business deals as the government plays a supporting function.

In an interview with executive director, UEPB, Mr Elly Twineyo who is also the Expo Commissioner General, the government, represented by key agencies such as UEPB, UIA and UTB among others, will continue to run the show on behalf of entire country for the duration of the Expo.

This, he said doesn’t mean that private sector players will not play a significant role, only that their physical presence at the Expo is not a requirement.

“We are going to market our country at the expo to the world digitally. So we don’t need physical presence of exhibitors. We shall project all that for them here digitally. We have the means to do that in our pavilion and we will make sure we do it right,” Mr Twineyo said.

He continued: “This is an Expo or better still an exposition. And unlike a trade fair where private sector have an opportunity to physically exhibit what they have on offer, in an expo like this one, the government takes the lead in showcasing the country’s potential and abilities to the world, with a view of opening more opportunities to our investors back home or attracting more viable investments into our country.”

Mr Twineyo stated that private sector players or businesses in Uganda don’t have to come to the expo unless they are coming to sign or seal a deal.

A line echoed in Ms Mulwana’s presentation at the Trade, Investment and Tourism Business Forum at the sideline of the Dubai Expo 2020, reads: “Remember that companies do business but countries trade.” This in many ways sums up what Mr Twineyo is trying to explain—that the expo is space for the government to pave way for companies to do business beyond its borders.

Anticipated dividends

Mr Twineyo, who is optimistic that the expo presents a basket of opportunities says Uganda’s involvement will pay off.

After six months, UEPB as the lead agency and UIA and UTB as the key agencies of government at the heart of negotiations and inking deals at the Dubai Expo 2020 are looking at garnering between $4 billion (Shs14.3 trillion) to $5 billion (about Shs17.9 trillion) of combined investment secured for the country.

“Our main aim here is clear: To promote tourism, investment, innovation and markets for our exports. So far, we have signed deals amounting to $900 million in just under a week and we will do everything within our powers to hit our target of $4 to $5 billion worth of total investment over the next six months,” Mr Twineyo noted.

These, according to the export promotion body will amount to not less than three million jobs both directly and indirectly.

UIA says potential investors from the expo will be offered a range of incentives, including free land currently available at UIA industrial and business parks around the country.

As a result of these successes, Mr Mukiza noted: “We will stop exporting jobs out of the country through promoting value addition in our country. So those jobs that are done in countries where we export our raw materials will now be done here in our industrial parks.”

He also made a case for organised value-chain improved production and productivity to feed into the industries whose deals have been secured from the world expo. 

Partnerships

Dr Patrick Birungi, the Uganda Development Corporation executive director, says the government investment arm will be looking to tap into partnerships resulting from the secured deals at the expo.

“We are working with UIA to identify potential investors in a number of projects including iron and steel industry, cement processing and agro-processing among other areas of our interests,” he said.

Emmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira, the managing director, Uganda Coffee Development Authority, notes that the expo is a springboard to launch into the Middle East market in general and specifically in the United Arab Emirates.

“Uganda’s coffee is currently in the Middle East but it is coming through re-exports from other countries. But we want to deepen that market because Ugandan coffee is one of the best in the world.

“We have done this before in Milan in Italy where the previous expo was hosted. After spending six months promoting our coffee there, we made inroads and we are the number one coffee exporters in Italy now,” he said.

Currently, only two per cent of Uganda’s coffee reaches the Middle East. UCDA is now looking for a bigger share for Middle East, especially for Robusta coffee which is the gulf favourite brand and yet Uganda is the leading exporter of Robusta in Africa.

Over the next five years, banking on the exposure of the dividends accrued from the expo, UCDA is looking at increasing the 217,000 bags of coffee headed to Middle East to at least 1.5 million bags.