EXPO 2020 Dubai last Wednesday announced DP World as its Premier Global Trade Partner. The company, which is a leading enabler of global marine and inland trade, owns and operates 77 terminals globally including the Port of Jebel Ali, less than 10 km from the Expo site, and will play a vital role in the supply chain for the Expo, which will bring together over 180 nations and 25 million visitors for what will be the world's largest event in 2020. DP World is the third Premier Partner to be announced to date. The signing ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline, and Mohammed Al Shaibani, Vice Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, Director General of The Ruler's Court of Dubai, and CEO and Executive Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General Bureau Expo Dubai 2020, said "Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia. Serving an area with a collective population of nearly 3.2 billion people and a GDP of more than US $ 6.5 trillion, Expo 2020 will act as a gateway to one of the most important geo-economic trends shaping our world: the rise of emerging markets, developing countries and South-South trade. The partnership with DP World will play a central role in cementing the UAE's position at the heart of future global trade." Al Hashimy added: "Trade and economic diversification are vital to the UAE's future. Through this agreement with DP World and our other partners, Expo 2020 Dubai will leave an economic legacy in the form of new business generation, GDP growth and job creation across the region." DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said: "We are proud to become the Premier Global Trade Partner of Expo 2020. This is an ideal partnership as we have the same purpose – to make a better tomorrow. We are proud ambassadors globally for Dubai and the UAE, enabling trade in over half of the world's economy. Expo 2020 will capture the world's attention and will leave a strong legacy and the same applies to DP World – we boost trade, build economies and create a positive future. We are a Dubai flagship company enabling trade in 40 countries and have a similar mindset to Expo – thinking ahead, innovating for the future which makes us a natural choice as Expo 2020's global trade partner." The partnership with DP World means that countries participating in Expo 2020 will be able to use ports in their home countries as well as Jebel Ali Port for their transport requirements as they prepare to take part in the global mega event, taking advantage of one of the most modern ports in the region, employing state of the art equipment and the infrastructure required to accommodate the world's largest container vessels. The agreement will also offer wider opportunities for DP World to enhance its international profile and build long-lasting partnerships with the mega-event's participants, which will include nations, corporations and multilateral organizations. The Premier Partnership, the highest of three tiers in Expo 2020's partnership program, grants exclusive marketing rights and benefits to DP World, as well as the opportunity to have its own pavilion during the Expo and to remain in legacy. DP World is at the heart of global trade. It operates 77 marine and inland terminals in 40 countries across six continents, including both high-growth and mature markets. With its promise ‘Creating the Future, Now', DP World has committed to creating the most productive, efficient, and safe trade solutions, well-aligned with Expo 2020's focus on innovation and its subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The global trade enabler is also an active supporter of start-up organizations, both locally and internationally, complementing similar Expo 2020 initiatives. According to the WTO, global trade was worth $18.5 trillion in 2014. The Middle East, Africa and Asia together accounted for just $6.904 trillion of that total. The three regions have, however, experienced rapid growth. The World Bank estimates that gross national income per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa grew by almost 240% between 2002 and 2014. The UAE was the world's 11th largest exporter in 2014, and has firm plans to reduce oil's contribution to national GDP to less than the current 30%. On Nov. 21, 2015 the UAE announced the details of the Emirates Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Policy. This is a $82 billion plan to foster a knowledge economy, and prepare the UAE for a world beyond oil.
