Namibia will be participating for six months at he 2020 Dubai Expo, which is a multibilliondollar global innovation. Projected to attract over 20 million people, the expo is set to be the largest event ever staged in the Arab world. It will be the first world expo held in the Bureau International des Expositions (BIEs), Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, welcoming 190 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.
Commissioner general of the Namibia Expo 2020 Dubai, Nangula Uandjaa, confirmed that the expo hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be held from 01 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Under the audacious and daring banner of ‘The Future favours the Brave”, Namibia will celebrate its identity as a nation while embracing Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the future’.
Namibia’s pavilion is structured under the theme ‘Preserving and Utilising Natural Treasures for Future Generations: The Opportunity of a Lifetime’. The term ‘natural treasures’ was selected to describe the wide range of treasurable resources with which Namibia is blessed, from energy and ecology, to people and culture. The Namibian pavilion aims to display its natural treasures to the world. Namibia’s activities at Expo 2020 Dubai will focus on showcasing the country’s vast potential for renewable energy generation, unique landscapes and abundant wildlife which culminate in an incredible touristic experience, marine diamonds and mineral wealth, as well as diverse cultural heritage.
Other sectors that will be promoted during the expo include: mining, tourism and conservation, education (e-learning and innovation), as well as trade and investment (manufacturing, blue economy, health, logistics and agriculture). The goals of the Namibian pavilion are to showcase renewable energy investment opportunities, promote environmental conservation and sustainable tourism, promote value addition opportunities in the mining sector, attract foreign direct investment (FDI) for infrastructure and manufacturing, and position Namibia as a gateway to the African market.
Namibia will kick start its expo journey during the Tech for Good seminar on 04 October 2021 with the CEO of the Environmental Investment Fund, Benedict Libanda speaking at the session on Green Financing means of Achieving Global Climate Goals. The official opening of the Namibian pavilion will be held on 07 October 2021 during a cocktail evening, with the trade minister, Lucia Iipumbu, scheduled to deliver the keynote address and cut the ribbon.
Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo is expected to talk specifically about the energy sector. Other invited guests for the opening of the Namibian pavilion include commissioner generals from SADC countries, corporate stakeholders and the African Union pavilion commissioner general, ambassador Simon Maruta. Furthermore, during the month of October, the Namibian pavilion will host B2B meetings related to the theme of the month. During the climate and biodiversity thematic week, a business forum on opportunities in climate and biodiversity will be held at the pavilion, a video/ photographic exhibition by the Cheetah Conservation Fund will be shown, and traditional tales of conservation focused on Namibia’s environmental conservation success stories will be shared.
The week of 17 to 23 October will be dedicated to advancing best practices in wildlife & biodiversity. The Namibian pavilion will be celebrating Africa Day on 25 October 2021 with a host of activities to be shared with the nation before the event. Ending off the month of October, Namibia’s logistics hub presentations will be displayed at the pavilion, highlighting the country’s infrastructure. During the tolerance and inclusivity thematic week from 12 to 20 November 2021, the Namibian pavilion will host a photo exhibition of Namibian cultures.
Namibia’s strong record on media freedom will also be displayed through a video created by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. The full programme for Namibia’s pavilion and presence during the six month duration of the Expo 2020 Dubai will soon be shared on social media pages.