How Uganda is reaping from Dubai Expo 2020

First, I’m humbled by the kind compliments from many of you. It has been a super busy week for us at the Embassy of Uganda to the United Arab Emirates with bilateral meetings, investment meetings and coordination of the world expo-related activities.

For me, one mile is off the journey of four and by the end of the six months, all the four shall be completed, if not more. 
The embassy plan for participation at the world expo is twofold, first to facilitate our competitiveness. This is a world expo at which 192 countries are participating. 

For a country to be visible, there is need for strategic planning, showcase uniqueness and leverage on comparative advantage. How best could Uganda participate to be visible, heard, vibrant and hit the ground running? 

Could it be exhibiting products that cannot be consistently supplied, in terms of quality and quantity, or attract investments that can address the factors that facilitate for inconsistencies? 

I comfortably settle for the latter premised on what some of us know about why our exports are still low yet the country has immense potential. This shall be a matter for discussion some other time.

Back to the embassy’s twofold plan: 1) Have a super launch of our participation. 2) Strategise well for participation throughout the six months of the Dubai Expo 2020. The set target for our participation is to attract $4 billion foreign exchange inflow into Uganda during the six months.

First fold (super launch) was very successful with five achievements in only three days of the launch.
i). Availability of a pavilion for Uganda’s participation. This was lobbied from the hosting country and saved Uganda Shs15 billion.

ii). Having President Museveni lead the delegation, especially during these times of Covid-19 concerns.
iii). Lobbying for Uganda’s national day at the expo to come first when anxiety is still high across the world. Indeed, Uganda was the first African country to celebrate her national day and second globally, after France.
iv). Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, decorated with the Uganda flag colours on the eve of the national day. It was breaking news across all local UAE and many international TV channels.
v). Take advantage of the presence of President Museveni and have some investment deals concluded. This was done and investments worth $1b were finalised.

These include, a) Elite Agro LLC committed to invest $500m in the sector of agriculture starting next month by setting up a world class tea processing factory, Irish potatoes value addition factory, hass avocado for export, etc. 
b) AMEA power to invest $250m by setting up a 20mw solar plant in Arua and 200mw (hybrid solar and wind) plant in Karamoja. It will also set up a $200m industrial park in Karamoja close to the energy plant.
c). Global Gases Group to set up at $50m large liquid oxygen production plant.

These three were the concluded deals under the responsibility of the embassy during the three days launch of the expo. 
And there is another major one, among others pending feasibility study, in tourism worth $400m. 

Second fold of the plan. We have drawn a calendar of activities based on monthly sectoral themes where both public and private sectors shall be mobilised to participate from Uganda, UAE and the Middle East, and other parts of the world since 192 countries are represented at the Dubai Expo.

For example, December will be the tourism and Uganda/UAE convention, January - trade, industries and manufacturing, February - agriculture and Agro-processing, and March - science and innovation.

I wish to take this opportunity to invite all Ugandans and friends of Uganda to come and we work together for success at the Dubai Expo 2020. 

A country’s success is premised on citizens working together.

Mr Kibedi is the ambassador of Uganda to the United Arab Emirates.