The upcoming Expo 2020 world fair to be held in Dubai could serve as a great opportunity to promote Croatian companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and expand the economic cooperation between the two countries, the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) said on Monday.

The Expo 2020, held between October 2020 and April 2021, was the main topic of the Croatia-UAE forum organised in Zagreb on Monday. HGK’s Vice-President for International Affairs, Ivan Barbaric, talked about business opportunities in the sectors of transport, railway, machinery, industry, construction, energy and healthcare.

In 2017, Croatia’s exports to the UAE totalled $30 million and the imports were $1.5 million, Barbaric said.

Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, Deputy CEO of Dubai Exports, the state’s exports promotion agency, said that closer trade relations is the best way of strengthening bilateral ties, and that the UAE considers Croatia one of the most important gateways for accessing other European markets.

The forum will also host representatives of some 70 Croatian businesses and representatives of 15 UAE companies on investment opportunities in the fields of food industry, pharmaceuticals, metal processing, electrical engineering, construction and finance.

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