October 25, 2021 – Georgetown, Guyana – A delegation from Guyana led by Dr. President Irfan Ali visited Expo 2020 Dubai in October, progressing relations between the country and the Emirate in a number of areas. The delegation was welcomed by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. A series of meetings involving Guyana and Dubai government officials and business representatives took steps to advance relations between the two, with focus on trade and investment.
Expo 2020 Dubai - A Global Event Welcomes Guyana
The first world expo took place in London in 1851, and today gathers 192 nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time. Dubai has crafted the current event with the theme of ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’. Since Guyana participated in the previous 2015 world expo in Milan, Italy, it is certainly ‘creating a new future’.
In his address to the delegations, President Ali highlighted several changes. Referring to Guyana as part of South America, President Ali remarked,
“Guyana, however, is no longer the continent’s best-kept secret. The country is igniting excitement throughout the region with its economic transformation. With GDP growth at 43.5%, it became the world’s fastest-growing economy in 2020 and is likely to sustain high levels of growth for the next decade. Guyana also has become the most exciting destination for tourists. The country was voted by an expert panel as being the best in sustainable tourism in 2019.”
Multiple Opportunities for Mutually Beneficial Engagement
The expo provided an ideal forum for discussions between government officials and business leaders from the two countries. Among the topics were opening a trade office, logistics hubs (where Dubai has extensive experience) and areas for technical cooperation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited the Guyana pavilion where he and President Ali witnessed the signing of an MoU on advancing technical cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was signed by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation for Dubai, and Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni K. Singh of Guyana.
“This has been an exceptional visit,” remarked TOTALTEC CEO Lars Mangal, who was part of the Guyana delegation. “Not only are there multiple business opportunities for our two countries to work together, much can be learned from the evolution of Dubai from oil producer to international business and technology center.”
Looking to the future
In his address to the gathering, President Ali remarked,
“Guyana is set to become a leading oil and gas producer, an energy powerhouse, a bastion of food security, a prime destination for sustainable tourism and a regional information communications technology hub.”
He continued,
“We want to see a modern Guyana which will mould the next generation of our children and provide them with the best life that we can offer. We want to build a more inclusive society in which our diversity is celebrated…. We want to ensure a prosperous country where our people can enjoy high standards of living, including a 21st-century education and world-class health services. I want Guyanese to enjoy these and other benefits in a healthy, safe, and secure environment.”
Following are News Releases from the Office of the President Highlighting Opportunities
Expo 2020 Dubai provided a unique opportunity for Guyana to engage the Emirate on multiple fronts, in particular trade and investment. Following are news releases from the Office of the President resulting from the Guyana delegation visit to Dubai.
Address of His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana at the EXPO 2020, Dubai, UAE. https://dpi.gov.gy/address-of-his-excellency-dr-mohamed-irfaan-ali-president-of-the-cooperative-republic-of-guyana-at-the-expo-2020-dubai-uae/
MOU inked to advance technical assistance and cooperation between the UAE and Guyana https://dpi.gov.gy/mou-inked-to-advance-technical-assistance-and-cooperation-between-the-uae-and-guyana/
Government wants to create new UAE logistics hub in Guyana - President Ali https://dpi.gov.gy/govt-wants-to-create-new-uae-logistics-hub-in-guyana-president-ali/
“Guyana is the most exciting place to be in the world” – Finance Minister https://dpi.gov.gy/guyana-is-the-most-exciting-place-to-be-in-the-world-finance-minister/
Dubai Chamber of Commerce ready to facilitate a Guyana Trade Office https://dpi.gov.gy/dubai-chamber-of-commerce-ready-to-facilitate-a-guyana-trade-office/
Guyana receives “very aggressive interests” from UAE investors - President Ali https://dpi.gov.gy/guyana-receives-very-aggressive-interests-from-uae-investors-president-ali/
President Ali markets Guyana’s potential to investors at Expo 2020 Dubai https://dpi.gov.gy/president-ali-markets-guyanas-potential-to-investors-at-expo-2020-dubai/
About TOTALTEC
TOTALTEC is focused on the success of the energy industry in Guyana for the benefit of the country, its people, and partner companies. It does this through three areas: people, partnerships, and facilities. Qualified and motivated Guyanese develop through the International Petroleum & Maritime Academy, where more than 600 have been trained. Partnerships prioritize products and services that are starting points to grow from, creating new Guyanese led companies, for example Jaguar Oilfield Services. Facilities include Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI, also a partnership) providing a complete range of services to offshore operations. The TOTALTEC 94% Guyanese workforce includes 6 nationalities with over 160 years of international oilfield experience. https://www.totaltec-os.com
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