By Government Press Office | BELIZE
BELMOPAN, Belize – BELTRAIDE’s chairman and chief executive officer for Investment, Narda Garcia, and executive director, Dr Leroy Almendarez, are in Dubai representing Belize for the closure of Expo Dubai 2020 where Belize was featured.
Over 300,000 persons from Dubai and other host countries visited the Belize Pavilion, which featured everything from Belize’s rich culture and diverse tourist product to local products. The pavilion also served as a hub for the BELTRAIDE staff, who met and networked with over 192 other countries represented at the expo.
Garcia and Dr Almendarez maximized their time in Dubai, where they participated in the Caribbean Investment Forum. The forum serves to promote investment opportunities across the region with over 500 delegates from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in attendance seeking clarity from expert panelists, who provided additional information with respect to the areas of interest.
Garcia and Dr Almendarez also participated as panelists at the Annual Investment Meeting 2022, the world’s leading investment platform, hosted by the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the margins of Expo Dubai, from March 29 to 31. Both participated in discussions on the wider theme, “Investments in Sustainable Innovation for a Thriving Future.” They joined world-renowned experts, academics, private sector leaders and government policy officials in discussing the challenges and opportunities facing countries in attracting foreign direct investment in a post-pandemic era.
Both Garcia and Almendarez participated in the pillars on foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio: Dr Almendarez focused on “Seizing the Opportunity to Attract and Retain the Talent Pool” and Garcia on “Latin America and the Caribbean – Fostering Investments that Promote Innovation and Sustainability,” in a focus session led by United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
Several meetings were also held with Belize’s government officials and private sector investors from the UAE and other countries that expressed interest in Belize as a potential investment partner. At these meetings, information on the various priority areas and incentive programs was shared with the investors. The meetings also served as opportunities to establish relationships with interested investors and commenced networking for follow-up in the near future.
Expo Dubai 2020 provided an opportunity for BELTRAIDE to meet and discuss with potential partners and investors as it continues to be the leading government entity in attracting much-needed foreign direct investment to Belize.
