|
Bahraini companies of all sizes have learned of the unique opportunities to grow their business in the lead-up to, during and after Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo to be staged in the Arab World and Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.
Building on the UAE’s close ties with Bahrain, a team from Expo 2020 Dubai visited the country as part of its wider ‘GCC Roadshow’ – designed to encourage business engagement and growth across the region and highlight the lasting benefits of working with Expo 2020 – to outline the opportunities available to Bahrain’s business community.
The visit, which took place from 17-18 April, saw the Expo 2020 Dubai team meet key entities including Bahrain’s Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bahrain Economic Development Board and Tamkeen, as well as engaging in dialogue with key industry figures and the wider business community.
The Expo 2020 Dubai team also presented to members of Bahrain’s business community at an event hosted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities on 17 April – including representatives from the industrial, manufacturing, retail, financial services, media, government, and real estate sectors – highlighting specific opportunities for integration into the Expo 2020 supply chain.
They also spoke to the wider business community, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), at a workshop organised by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry the following day to outline Expo’s transparent and inclusive procurement process.
SMEs are a key driver of Bahrain’s economy, contributing approximately 30 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2015. Expo 2020 Dubai is committed to integrating SMEs and tapping into their innovation and agility, with 20 per cent of Expo’s budget – equating to more than AED 5 billion (USD 1.36 billion) – to be spent with SMEs.
Expo runs from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021 and will attract millions of visitors from around the world. A large proportion of visitors are expected to come from the GCC, which is the UAE’s largest source market for tourism - with 3.4 million visitors to Dubai alone from the Gulf in 2016.
Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Commissioner General of the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “These meetings are instrumental in raising awareness among the various sectors about the commercial, economic and cultural opportunities of this international celebration.
“I commend the organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai for their high level of preparations to ensure the success of this international congregation in the GCC region. I also note the role of the GCC nations and the UAE in particular in promoting the Arab and Gulf culture and the values of openness, coexistence and respect for the differences that distinguish our countries.”
His Excellency Zayed Bin Rashid Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said: “The Kingdom of Bahrain is proud of its strong presence in various international events and Expos, and has a clear footprint in most of them thanks to the government’s leadership and continuous support to promote the country as a preferred destination for global investments and projects.
“Expo 2020 Dubai is an exceptional event in an exceptional country. In Bahrain, we always seek to share with our GCC brothers the cultural and future image of Bahrain, which our government looks to draw through the Bahrain Vision 2030. Participation in Expo 2020 Dubai is a qualitative leap and an experience which the Bahraini business community should take advantage of.”
Manal AlBayat, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Integration, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Bahrain’s thriving business community has an important role to play in supporting Expo 2020 Dubai, and we want to ensure that companies are aware of the opportunities that exist and the mechanism of how they can be involved in helping us deliver a remarkable World Expo, which leaves a meaningful legacy for generations.
|
New
