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DUBAI: Dubai Expo 2020 has hosted a “Sichuan Day of China” event, which was celebrated in both the UAE and Chengdu, marking growing ties between the Emirates and China.

The theme for the event, which was held at the Paramount Hotel Dubai and sponsored by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government of China, was “Cooperation and Innovation, Tianfu Opportunities.”

It was attended by the Commissioner General of China Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and Vice Chairman of CCPIT Zhang Shenfeng, Vice Governor of Sichuan Provincial People’s Government Li Yunze, UAE Ambassador to China Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, Consul General of China in Dubai Li Xuhang, Chairman of World Chambers Federation and President of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hamad Buamim, CEO of Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI) Fahad Al Gergawi, as well as business associations from China, Korea, Nepal and the UAE.

The event was divided into five sessions. The first commenced with welcoming remarks by Li Yunze, who discussed bilateral cooperation between the UAE and China.

He said that the aim of the event was to enable people to “further understand the unique charm and development vitality of Sichuan” in order to promote business activities that will provide channels for the opening up of the province.

“We have in-depth cooperation on mutual government visits in economy and trade, humanities, agriculture and tourism. Direct flights between Chengdu and Dubai were launched in 2015. Import and export of Sichuan to the UAE in 2020 was RMB5.5 billion ($862 million) and exceeded RMB6.77 billion in the first months of this year,” he added.

“At the new beginning, Sichuan will be diligent in comprehending and implementing President Xi Jinping’s message for the China Pavilion at Dubai Expo, and will capitalize on major opportunities to gain a head start, such as the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle of Belt and Road.”

The Belt and Road initiative involves billions of dollars of infrastructure investment to revive — in a modern form — the ancient trade route. The UAE is set to benefit from the revitalization due to its proximity to the route.

During the event, a number of trade cooperation agreements were signed and the Sichuan Chamber of International Commerce Representative Office in the UAE was unveiled.

The event provided an informative lecture about Sichuan, which is often referred to as the “Land of Abundance” due to the presence of natural resources and biodiversity within the area.

It outlined the potential of Chengdu as a new emerging megacity through trade relations and investment opportunities, as well as how city planners have integrated environmental protection, public space and quality of life within the area’s agenda.

Chengdu has four industrial zones and is home to many Fortune 500 companies, showing the capacity of the city in fostering business.

Hamad Buamim, president and CEO of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke in a speech on the long-standing bond in economics, trade and investment between the UAE and China, noting that the latter is the UAE’s second-largest trading partner.

“Chinese companies are capitalizing on the opportunity to tap into Dubai’s advantage, explore new broad opportunities in the region and boost their global profile,” Buamim said.

“The ultimate objective of our participation is to attract new business to Dubai and foster connections between UAE businesses and their global counterparts. The UAE, and Dubai in particular, is expected to play a prominent role in Belt and Road as a logistics hub that is strategically located between Asia, Europe and Africa. It is estimated that 70 percent of Chinese exports to UAE and Dubai are re-exported to other markets in the GCC, India and Africa. Dubai Chamber and Expo 2020 are positioning themselves to be a hub and a gateway that can be leveraged by companies around the world to expand their global reach,” he added.

Fahad Al-Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI, congratulated the organizers for holding the Sichuan event and spoke about the experience of the UAE and Dubai in economic diversification.

Fahad Al-Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI at the speaks during the “Sichuan Day of China” event at Paramount Hotel Dubai, UAE. (ANJP Photo)

“It gives me great pleasure to get a clear picture of Sichuan, through all the presentations made. In particular, I have just watched the videos about the characteristics of Sichuan and the different features of the province. The unique charm and development of the province has amazed me, and I hope to visit,” Al-Gergawi said.

The leaders of China and the UAE exchanged visits during 2018 and 2019 and developed a comprehensive partnership. “In 2020, trade between Dubai and China reached $39.5 billion. In the same year, Dubai attracted $6.7 billion of foreign direct investment, ranking the first in MENA and fourth globally,” Al-Gergawi,” added.

Congratulatory videos from directors of pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai and relevant business chambers of commerce. (Supplied)

This was followed by congratulatory videos from numerous directors of pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai and relevant business chambers of commerce,  one of which was a representative from the Japan-China Economic Association, Sasahara Shin.

The event also included a number of entertaining performances, including cultural shows, live connections to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, and a showcase of the Sanxingdui Museum and other famous sites.