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Business Editor
THE Zimbabwe-Dubai Business Forum kicks off today in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with more than 40 local business executives participating and these will engage with potential global investors and buyers.

Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza is leading the business delegation to the event, which is expected to facilitate improved business engagements between the two states.

The high-level gathering will continue up to Thursday and is expected to unlock Zimbabwe’s access to the lucrative Dubai market and use this as a gateway to other markets in Middle-East.

The conference is set to further strengthen bilateral trade relations between the country and UAE.

Coming on the sidelines of the on-going Dubai Expo 2020 where Zimbabwe is participating, this week’s event will also tackle investment opportunities as the country intensifies its campaign to attract top global companies to invest in various sectors of the economy.

“For us the whole idea is to showcase the potential that Zimbabwe has in terms of trade and investment and also tourism.

So, we have got representatives from both the public and private sector who are telling the Zimbabwean story the way it has not been told before,” Mr Allan Majuru, chief executive officer on ZimTrade, said yesterday.

The country’s trade promotion agency is organising the forum in conjunction with its Dubai counterparts.

“So, in terms of preparedness we are ready and on Thursday everyone is going to be there.

We have got a delegation of above 40 people that are coming through from the parastatals and the private sector and also, we have got Government officials that are going to grace the event to make sure that we sell the story of Zimbabwe,” he said.

The event dovetails the country’s economic diplomacy focus and comes at a time when trade and investment have been identified as integral elements under the country’s National Development Strategy (NDS1:2021-2025), a key building bloc towards attainment of an upper-middle-income status by 2030.

As such, Mr Majuru said securing a ready market for local products was critical.

“We talk to the market first and then the market tells us what we want and when we produce, we are producing for a market and that makes the business sustainable,” he said.

Last year Zimbabwe deployed a business delegation that came through to scan the Dubai market and managed to stitch a lot of deals as a result.

“For example, we have managed to push around US$3-4 million worth of fresh produce to Dubai and we have set up shop in terms of leather sector and the Zimbabwe Leather Collective now have a shop here, which they are using to distribute their goods and services,” said Mr Majuru.

“If you look at the NDS1 the idea is to move the contribution of exports to GDP from nine percent to 20 percent. So, the focus of our business forum is going to make sure that we promote the exports of value-added goods and services. I think we are in line with that.”

Mr Majuru said the business forum was also critical in exploring more opportunities for the country so as to diversify its market.

“We cannot just sit at home and expect markets to come us. We have to take advantage of such forums to market Zimbabwe and what we have,” he said.

“Government and us as ZimTrade, our job is to facilitate. We are not in business but business people have to come through so that we tap into these markets.

“It’s not just about Dubai but about UAE so that we use Dubai as a distribution point to Pakistan, India and so on. The market is wider.”

Horticulture offerings like avocados, mangoes, macadamia nuts, vegetables, chilies, sweet corn, peas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, processed foods and beverages, meat and meat products, leather and leather products, clothing and textiles, and essential oils have a ready market in the Middle East country.