Ghana to confirm participation in Dubai Expo 2020 as GPIC holds talks with organizers

Ghana is to confirm its participation in the biggest world expo – to be held in Dubai, UAE in 2020 – following fruitful discussions between the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC) and the organising committee of Expo 2020.

“We have had a meeting with the CEO of Dubai Expo 2020; we haven’t yet confirmed our participation, but in principle we are very engaged. We are going to do what we need to do to be here,” Mr. Yoofi Grant, CEO of the GIPC, said at a media interaction at the Dubai Expo 2020.

The World Expo is one of the world’s oldest and largest international events, taking place every five years and lasting six months.

It is a festival for all, where everyone can learn, innovate, create progress and have fun by sharing ideas and working together.

Each Expo revolves around its own theme to leave a lasting impact on the path of human progress. Expo 2020 Dubai’s core theme is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

At the 154th Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in November, 2013, Dubai defeated rival bids from Turkey’s Izmir, Brazil’s Sao Paolo, and Russia’s Yekaterinburg following three rounds of voting.

The hosting of Expo 2020 will generate approximately 277,000 new job opportunities between 2013 and 2020.

Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and the first to be hosted by an Arab nation.

Over 25 million visitors are expected to attend the 6-month long event, with 70 percent expected to be international visitors – the highest proportion in Expo history.

Mr. Grant said, given the profile of investors and visitors expected, “It is a great opportunity for Ghana to showcase itself to the world”.

He added that: “As Ghana positions to be a regional hub in West Africa, we also need to show the investing public what we have. We need to start preparing from now. As GIPC, leading this effort with Ministry of Trade and Industries and other agencies, we will try and put our best foot forward”.