NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 4- Kenya is looking to attract new investors and expand its export market during the World Expo Dubai 2020 that was rescheduled to start in October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
The event was postponed by a year due to the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease.
Kenya Pavilion Director for Expo Dubai 2020 Austin Macheso said the event organizers already created a road map for various exhibitors and traders to hold talks on new market and investment opportunities that can be pursued at the international level.
“We have initiated what we call pro-expo programs where we have already approached the main players within the Gulf Cooperation Council region for us to start discussing and engaging collaborations such as forums to plan how we can engage more,” said Macheso.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the main market for Kenya in the greater Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a market that is comprised of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
The exhibition will also pave way for East Africa’s richest to introduce new products such as textile, and honey, which will be showcased in the much-hyped World Expo Dubai 2020.
“Traditionally we have been exporting tea and horticulture so we have new products such as textiles and apparel that we look to export to the region and increase the volume of what we are already exporting to the market,” Macheso adds.
Macheso was speaking on Sunday during the flag off is of the first batch of the goods worth Sh63million to Dubai by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency.
The Agency is the country’s responsible national authority for the Expo Dubai 2020.
The categories of goods flagged off included coffee, tea, textiles, furniture, leather footballs, beauty products, coconut products, soap, sanitizers and assorted handicrafts
Africa Freight Systems Limited Logistics head Peter Waweru said the containers are to arrive in Dubai within 2 weeks.
“Much of the documentation work happens in Nairobi so its only the loading to the SGR and once in Mombasa the container is loaded to the vessel its shipped to Dubai, 14 days from today,” said Waweru.
The six-month, multibillion-dollar global innovation fair, set to be the largest such event ever staged in the Arab world, is expected to attract some 24 million visitors.
So far, over 60 Kenyan exhibitors have signed up to sell their products through the World Market Initiative, and hope to use the platform to create job opportunities.
“There are a lot opportunities because there is branding, marketing innovation which many of the youth can tap into,” said founder AkinyiOdongo.
The Agency said it will also maximize on the Expo 2020 to link Kenyan exporters to other market regions such as the European Market, American and South American Markets.
Kenya aims to recruit over 5000 exporters, including SME’s to exhibit during the six months expo, according to organisers.
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