President Hage Geingob has thanked Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for providing material and financial support to Namibia to ensure the country’s participation in the World Expo Dubai 2020.
“The UAE (United Arab Emirates) went beyond the call of duty. For that, I express gratitude to you for allowing Namibia to join the making of a new world at the greatest showcase of human brilliance and achievement,” Geingob said while speaking during Namibia National Day at the ongoing expo yesterday.
Geingob and his delegation, which includes a number of cabinet ministers and the CEO of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) Nangula Uaandja, are in Dubai to attend the expo.
Geingob said that by hosting a remarkable expo, Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has indeed offered humanity an opportunity to build a better world and positively shape the future for all, including the people of Namibia.
“As we are about to conclude our stay in Dubai, we have seven days left before the expo closes its doors. However, the end of this expo opens new horizons and new opportunities and I want to use this occasion to invite business people, including those from the UAE to visit our pavilion and most importantly to come and invest in Namibia,” he added.
He said since his arrival, the hospitality and courtesies extended to him and his delegation have been excellent, and expressed his sincere appreciation to the UAE government.
Geingob said his association with expo 2020 Dubai started some years ago when a delegation from Dubai was in Zimbabwe canvassing for support to host the event.
While there, Geingob said the delegation was told to visit Namibia but did not have landing rights, which government quickly extended to them.
In December 2013, Geingob said as a prime minister, he was in this world-class metropolitan city and met with Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to congratulate him and the UAE for winning the bid to host the expo 2020.
“I said to Bin Rashid Al Maktoum then that Namibia would like to become a quarter of what Dubai was, but he asked me why not just like Dubai. Nine years later, and against all odds, Dubai and the people of the UAE have once again demonstrated to the world, the quality and calibre of this country by hosting an impressive world expo,” he said.
Geingob said the Dubai expo 2020 has been a welcome platform to position Namibia as the investment destination of choice.
“Located in the opportunity district, our pavilion was manned by 21 Namibians, working under the theme ‘The Future Favours the Brave’, to showcase Namibia’s investment opportunities. Our expectations in terms of the objectives set out for this expo were exceeded, as over 300 000 people visited the pavilion,” he said.
Geingob said they are at the expo to seek collaborations and draw from delegates’ experiences.
“With our promotion of green hydrogen, and commercial oil discoveries by international oil companies, TotalEnergies and Shell, Namibia is opening a new frontier in its developmental trajectory. These are game-changing events signalling the start of our transformation for which we will need dependable partners such as the UAE,” he said.
“I must say that our participation would not have been successful without the support of the government of the UAE, by providing material and financial support to Namibia to ensure our participation in this global showpiece, the UAE has been more than a brother to us.”
ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na