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AFRICA IN THE DESERT
Forbes Africa
|December 2019 - January 2020
Manal A Bayat, Chief Community Engagement Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, on how for the first time in world expo history, all African nations will participate in a global event that will drive SME and sustainable development in the region.
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WHAT IS BEING hailed “the greatest show on earth”, Expo 2020 Dubai, will unravel in the glitzy Middle Eastern emirate from October 20 2020 to April 10 2021. Historically, the ties between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Africa have meant trade and cultural exchanges, and so too, the extravaganza will bring the African continent to the center of the world, including some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, creating value for both regions. Manal AlBayat offers a sneak peek into the world-class sites being developed for the 173-day Expo, drawing more than 190 countries, and what it will offer Africa:
How will this extravaganza drive small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the region and beyond? Beyond the six months of the event itself, we’re committed to leaving a meaningful and sustainable legacy, across a number of dimensions – physical, social, reputational and of course, economic. We know that SMEs are a significant driver of economies across the world and so the expo is committed to acting as an enabler for them.
Firstly, we are maximizing SME integration into the expo supply chain. For example, we have special tendering terms for SMEs to allow them to tender competitively. We are on track to deliver 20% of all direct and indirect spend from the expo budget towards SMEs, and to date, they have been awarded AED3.81 billion ($1.03 billion).
Secondly, we are facilitating the connections and partnerships that will drive long-term growth. In particular, the Expo 2020 Online Marketplace is a free online platform that enables businesses to connect, collaborate and compete for business opportunities globally, and it’s where all of the Expo 2020 tenders are listed. We currently have more than 37,000 suppliers from over 150 countries registered, and around 85% of these are SMEs.
How is Africa being represented?
This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 edition of Forbes Africa.
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