Bahraini companies of all sizes have learned of the unique opportunities to grow their business in the lead-up to, during and after Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo to be staged in the Arab World and Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

Building on the UAE’s close ties with Bahrain, a team from Expo 2020 Dubai visited the country as part of its wider ‘GCC Roadshow’ – designed to encourage business engagement and growth across the region and highlight the lasting benefits of working with Expo 2020 – to outline the opportunities available to Bahrain’s business community, said a statement.

The visit, which took place last month, saw the Expo 2020 Dubai team meet key entities including Bahrain’s Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bahrain Economic Development Board and Tamkeen, as well as engaging in dialogue with key industry figures and the wider business community, it said.

The Expo 2020 Dubai team also presented to members of Bahrain’s business community at an event hosted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities – including representatives from the industrial, manufacturing, retail, financial services, media, government, and real estate sectors – highlighting specific opportunities for integration into the Expo 2020 supply chain.

They also spoke to the wider business community, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), at a workshop organised by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry the following day to outline expo’s transparent and inclusive procurement process.

SMEs are a key driver of Bahrain’s economy, contributing approximately 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015. Expo 2020 Dubai is committed to integrating SMEs and tapping into their innovation and agility, with 20 per cent of Expo’s budget – equating to more than Dh5 billion ($1.36 billion) – to be spent with SMEs, said a statement.

Expo runs from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 and will attract millions of visitors from around the world. A large proportion of visitors are expected to come from the GCC, which is the UAE’s largest source market for tourism – with 3.4 million visitors to Dubai alone from the Gulf in 2016.