President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 2020 Dubai trade Expo.
The expo that will run up to March, 31, 2022 was officially opened on October,1, 2021 in Dubai.
On arrival at Abudhabi International Airport, Museveni was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al-Nahyan the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE.
Others at the Airport to receive the president were; Abdulla Alshamsi the UAE Ambassador to Uganda, the Foreign Affairs Minister Gen. JJ Odongo, the Finance Minister Matia Kasaijja, Amb. Zaake Kibedi, Amb. Henry Mayega, Amb. Arthur Kafeero and the Chief of Protocol Amb. Charles Ssentongo among others.
Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al-Nahyan welcomed President Museveni and wished him well in all his engagements while in the UAE.
The Dubai Expo 2020 is a world expo currently hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and was originally scheduled for October, 20, 2020 to April,10, 2021 but was rescheduled due to the pandemic.
This year’s expo that will run for 182 days will see over 192 countries, Uganda inclusive participate.
On his three-day working visit to United Arab Emirates, President Museveni is expected to meet and have bilateral discussions with the leaders of Dubai, Abudhabi and Sharja.
Last month, the president asked Ugandan officials to exploit the expo to market Uganda’s produce.
The President singled out sim sim whose total market size in UAE is US$839 million and yet our exports there are negligible.
He also cited dairy milk whose market size is US$ 2.846 billion but our exports are only US$ 374million and bananas whose market size is US$664million but we have never attempted that market.
“The people of northern Uganda grow sim sim. This is a new chance. It is good that you know how much your country is losing. Repentence is provided for in Christian religion, if you repent chance for you to go to heaven. That market is easy for us, its near, only five hours away,” he said.
Other products include mangoes, pineapples, mung beans, cocoa, tilapia, tea, coffee and vegetables among others.
According to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem the Dubai Expo organisers will mark the Uganda independence day which is aimed at promoting Uganda at the expo.
