DJIBOUTI, 19 October 2006 — The Djibouti government has exempted the products manufactured in Gulf countries from customs duty in preparation for a seminar and expo showcasing Gulf products, which it is hosting next month.
The expo and seminar will be organized by the Dubai Ports World and will be held from between Nov. 10 and 16 under the sponsorship of Djibouti President Ismail Omar Jila and GCC Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah.
The event will be the first and largest ever commercial-expo showcasing Gulf products to be held in Djibouti - a strategically important location in the Horn of Africa.
Mahmoud Al-Durr, president of the united international establishment for organization of exhibitions and conferences (Uni Expo Event), said, “The expo will go down in the history of Djibouti as a first major commercial expo to be ever held in Djibouti.” The timing of the event coincides with a summit of the African Union Commission in which 23 African heads of states will be participating.
The exhibition and seminar will serve as a stage to introduce Gulf products to various African nations apart from offering the Gulf businessmen to sign contracts and agreements directly with their African counterparts.
Al-Durr added that the business organizations in the Gulf have shown great interest in the Djibouti event. More than 70 UAE and Saudi pavilions and 20 each from Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain are expected to be set up at the expo.
The expo is also expected to serve as a boost for the non-oil industries in the Gulf region as Djibouti is the gateway to the North, East and Central African countries where abundant consumer markets are concentrated.
The strategically placed Djibouti port is also expected to become an international trade and re-export center particularly after the Dubai Ports World won the contract to operate the port.
