Government seeks $1mn for Pakistan pavilion in Expo 2020

DUBAI: To ensure Pakistan’s greater representation at the UAE-hosted Expo 2020, the government on Sunday urged the Pakistani business community to contribute $1 million toward the construction of the country’s pavilion at the prestigious event.
“The government does not have the resources to build the pavilion alone. Hence, we need the support and participation from the Pakistani business community for this very important event,” Abdul Razak Dawood, adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industries, Production and Investment, said while addressing members at a function organized by the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan ratified its commitment to participate in the Expo 2020 by way of a contract — between Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Moazzam Ahmad Khan and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sultan Mohammad Al Shamsi — at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) in Abu Dhabi.
“The prime minister has constituted a high-level steering committee, with representation from private and public sector stakeholders for effective participation,” Dawood said.
Based on the theme of an “emerging Pakistan,” the pavilion will be constructed across an area of nearly 3,450 square feet. “We [the Pakistani community in the UAE] are the stakeholders hence it is our responsibility to support our government,” Ambassador Khan said.
While he did not provide any additional details about the total cost of construction, Ambassador Khan predicted it would be “much more than that [1 million USD]” and that they were “still working on the estimates in consultation with our architect.”
Ahmed Shaikhani, a leading businessman in Dubai, said that the community would do its best to contribute toward the construction of the pavilion. “Expo 2020 is an excellent opportunity for Pakistani companies both in Pakistan and UAE to showcase their skills and potential. Let’s use this opportunity to tell the world about our strengths,” he said.
Responding to complaints from the community regarding difficulties in attracting foreign investments, Dawood clarified that while the government was taking steps to ensure “ease of businesses to attract foreign investors,” those taking part in the construction of the pavilion should not consider it as an investment for the future. “It is participation or donation but not an investment opportunity,” he said.
Ambassador Khan added that the embassy would ensure that foreign investors did not face any problems while applying for a Pakistani visa.
Commenting on the overall economic condition of the country, Dawood said that Pakistan is facing three major challenges in the form of current account deficit, trade and de-industrialization. “We need to promote the ‘make in Pakistan’ brand,” he said.
Dawood, who was also a part of former President Pervaiz Musharraf’s government from 1999 to 2002, said that it was amazing to see the love and respect extended to Prime Minister Imran Khan in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“It is beyond imagination. I have never seen such support earlier for a Pakistani leader,” he said, adding that despite the current challenges, all is not lost for the country. “With the blessings of Allah, we are over surplus in food production such as wheat, sugar and rice. We can feed ourselves.”