South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in United Arab Emirates (UAE) to lead South Africa Day celebration at the Dubai Expo 2020 on Sunday.
Ramaphosa who was received by Ambassador Saa'd Cachalia to South Africa in the UAE and Ambassador Mahash Saeed Salem Mahash of the to the UAE in South Africa.
The President had early announced that he will depart for the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, 26 March 2022, as the countdown continues to the close at the end of March of the World Exposition under auspices of the International Office of Expositions.
Ramaphosa’s Working visit would honour an invitation by the Host of the Expo 2020 Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. He was accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor; Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Ms Thoko Didiza.
Minister of Public Enterprises Mr Pravin Gordhan; Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Bonginkosi Nzimande, and the Minister of Trade , Industry and Competition Mr Ebrahim Patel. Expo 2020 Dubai for the past six months since its premiere introduced participating countries, corporations, non governmental organisations. And educational institutions to a region of 3.2 billion people with an estimate accumulated gross domestic product of 6.5 trillion USD. The hosts have retained the title Expo 2020 Dubai after the event which was originally scheduled for 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme for Expo 2020 Dubai is “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”.Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East. Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo 2020 Dubai commenced in October 2021, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. South Africa is among 192 countries that have established national pavilions at this global showcase of human ingenuity and innovation, national cultures and solutions to challenges confronting humanity. Held under the theme “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future via Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity”, South Africa’s participation to the Expo invites visitors to “Think Opportunity. Think South Africa.” At the South African pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, visitors have immersed themselves in South African innovation, culture and ingenuity. Trade and investment opportunities, world-class technology, creative arts, tourism, sports and unique cultural diversity and tolerance have been proudly highlighted by SMMEs.
Youth and women-led organisations, established businesses with an international footprint and emerging innovators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The South African pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai hosted visitors physically and virtually, where 103 companies exhibited. On Monday, 28 March 2022, President Ramaphosa will address the South African Dubai 2020 Expo National Day Celebration at the Al Wasl Plaza in Dubai. The President will then tour the pavilions of South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the African Union. Following the tours, President Ramaphosa will hold an interaction with the Multichoice SMME Accelerator Activation, which showcases leading-edge small enterprises from South Africa in health tech, fin tech, the green economy, edtech and creative industries. The Accelerator Activation offers SMMEs the opportunity to unlock growth capital and market opportunities from investors across the UAE, and to leverage relationships from the Dubai Expo and trade stakeholders. The President will later in the afternoon engage in a Town Hall with media. This engagement will be streamed on all Presidency and government digital pages. In the evening, the President will address an Investment Opportunities in South Africa Dinner with aim of bolstering South Africa’s five-year domestic and international investment drive with a target of R1,2 trillion. President Ramaphosa’s Working Visit will strengthen bilateral and economic cooperation between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is South Africa’s main trading partner within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and is still growing as a lucrative export market for South African products and services.
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