This archive report was first published on 9 May 2021.
Published on May 9, 2021, African nations are attending this year's Dubai Expo 2020 in force, hoping to project an image of a modern and ambitious continent.
The six-month mega-event, delayed by the Covid pandemic, is a milestone for the wealthy Gulf emirate, which has spent $8.2 billion transforming a barren stretch into an eye-popping site.
As the huge project nears completion ahead of the scheduled October 2021 opening, African delegates touted their ambitions to generate trade and investment at a high-level meeting.
Levi Uche Madueke, the African Union's head of strategic partnerships, said, 'The time has come for us to actually reach out to the world, and for the world to understand us, and also see how they can collaborate with us.'
Despite the need to develop infrastructure and existing barriers to international trade, Madueke said Africa has 'a lot to offer' thanks to its rich natural resources and youthful population.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, long seen as a country marred by conflict, corruption, and human rights abuses, is looking to attract investment from around the world.
Eugene Manga Manga, DR Congo's general commissioner for Expo 2020, said, 'Often when we talk about Africa, about Congo, people will say — there is war in the east, there are rebels… No! We have everything we need.'
DR Congo will showcase its culture and landscape in promotional videos in a bid to attract tourists, from its pavilion that will also promote the country's agricultural potential.
