Namibia to participate in the Expo 2020 Dubai

Monday, 27 September 2021, Windhoek

The Commissioner General of the Namibia Expo 2020 Dubai, Nangula Uandjaa announces that the Expo hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be held from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

The Republic of Namibia will be participating in this multibillion-dollar global innovation expo for the six month duration. 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 BIE’s Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, welcoming 190 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.

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 kickstart its Expo journey during the Tech for Good seminar on 4 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 7 October 2021 during a cocktail evening, with the Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon. Tom Alweendo as Keynote Speaker. The Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Hon. Lucia Iipumbu who will deliver official remarks and officiate the opening for the Namibia Pavilion, will also be in attendance, as well as other invited guests including Commissioner Generals from SADC countries, corporate stakeholders, the AU Pavilion Commissioner General, Ambassador Simon Maruta, and the 2nd Secretary from Namibia’s Embassy in Egypt, to name but a few.

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 our country’s environmental conservation success stories will be shared. The week of 17-23 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 12-20 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 be shared on our social media pages soon.

Follow the following social media accounts for all information related to Namibia’s participation during the Expo 2020 Dubai.