GUYANA’S participation at Expo2020 in Dubai was well received, and featured a number of bilateral engagements that sought to strengthen relations between the two countries, and discuss possible areas of investments. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on October 18, ahead of the Guyana National Day celebrations, which saw Guyana being prominently displayed on the international stage. The Head of State was accompanied by First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali, along with Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, along with other officials and a team of vibrant performers and artist, who skilfully painted an impressive picture of the talents that reside on Guyana’s shores.

‘INVEST HERE’
In his speech to those attending the ‘Guyana Day’ observances, President Ali spared no effort in marketing Guyana as an investment hub, which boasts of thriving food production capacities; pristine forests and an abundance of fresh water; an unrivalled eco-tourism product; rich natural resources; a distinct heritage created from the amalgamation of the most captivating cultures of the world; and more importantly, a land that is poised for massive transformational development. “If you are looking for investment opportunities, Guyana is a place on which to be setting your sights,” President Ali assured the top brasses of the UAE.

TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION
Shortly after the cultural extravaganza, the Guyanese Head of State began making rounds to meet with officials of the UAE, thereby ensuring tangible results. Accordingly, President Ali met His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, which resulted in the signing of an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which seeks to advance closer relations and key areas of technical co-operation.
Among the areas discussed were food security, climate change, the environment, technology and infrastructure, and revising the visa policy for both countries. The actual document was signed by Dr. Singh and his UAE counterpart, Minister Reem Al-Hashimy.

LOGISTICS HUB
Outside of the government-to-government engagements, President Ali also met with a number of private investors, including the Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Ports, Mr. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, who committed to the creation of a new logistics hub to facilitate investments between the UAE and South America, Central America, the Caribbean, North America and West Africa. “We are serious about Guyana, and I promise you we passed the time of thinking, now we are in the implementation stage,” Al Shamisi told President Ali. The CEO is also the owner, operator, developer and regulator of Abu Dhabi’s maritime infrastructure and Khalifa Industrial Zone (KIZAD).

US$5M INVESTMENT
Additionally, President Ali also spearheaded meetings between key private sector players of both Guyana and Dubai, which saw Dubai’s Chamber of Commerce committing to facilitate a Guyana Trade Office in Dubai. This is expected to promote and expedite continuous investment and trade partnerships between the two countries. Even further, an Emrati-owned company named Undiome Global DWC LLC, has also signed a MoU committing to a US$5 million investment to develop a 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility intended to produce biaxial voided slab technology in Guyana. A corresponding MoU was signed between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unidome Global DWC LLC, Kahlid Al-Qaqa, and the CEO of Global Infrastructure Guyana Inc., Troy Phillips. Dr. Ali also met with officials of the UAE’s Elite Agro to discuss investment opportunities in Guyana’s agriculture sector. Elite Agro is one of the largest producers of fresh vegetables and fruits in the Arab region, with large-scale farms in UAE, Serbia and Morocco