Time to review the economic programme for the World Expo in Dubai

Luc Frieden, Président et Carlo Thelen, Directeur Général de la Chambre de Commerce

In the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's participation in World Fairs, the Chamber of Commerce traditionally covers the economic and commercial promotion of the country with the government authorities and the private actors concerned. This was the case in Shanghai in 2010, and more recently during the six months of the Dubai World Expo.

Indeed, between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, the Chamber of Commerce has deployed an economic program for Luxembourg companies, in close collaboration with partners gathered under the banner "Trade and Invest".

During a press conference held in the Luxembourg pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Luc Frieden, President and Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce, presented the different actions that have honored the companies and the various sectors of the Luxembourg economy.

This diversified and varied program covered future technologies, digitalization, health, space and the circular economy, and attracted 273 representatives from 161 Luxembourg companies in addition to a hundred representatives of associations and public institutions, despite the pandemic.

The commercial exploitation of the Luxembourg presence not only allowed the Chamber of Commerce to fulfill one of its operational missions, the promotion of economic and commercial relations with foreign countries, but also to contribute to the strategic objectives of the economic promotion "Trade & Invest". "Our mission as a Chamber of Commerce is to stimulate economic growth by strengthening international trade," says Luc Frieden, adding that the Chamber of Commerce plays an important role as a facilitator and federator for Luxembourg companies.

Unlike the program set up for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, Luxembourg's presence was not only aimed at the domestic market. The international and specialized events that revolved around the Dubai World Expo served as a gateway to the whole world to make it an international event. Luc Frieden emphasizes: "The World Expo fits perfectly into our global strategy of promoting different sectors and supporting companies that want to go international.

In order to maximize the commercial impact of Luxembourg's participation, the Chamber of Commerce organized several sectoral missions in addition to a "Made in Luxembourg" week, during which several companies presented their products, services and know-how to a large international audience.

A multi-sectoral mission, organized around the Luxembourg Day in January 2022, was the occasion to host a B2B matchmaking event with the involvement of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) of the Chamber of Commerce and its business matchmaking program.

During various sectoral missions, visits to major international trade fairs organized in the Dubai-Abu Dhabi region were systematically integrated into the program. This formula has enabled the Chamber to tap into the networks of international trade fairs to stimulate and facilitate sectoral networking.

A satisfaction survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce showed a very positive feedback: 100% of the respondents were "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their participation in the proposed economic program.

Companies wishing to continue their market prospecting will be able to explore and further cultivate the links established during the economic missions. They can rely on the Luxembourg Trade & Invest office in the United Arab Emirates and the International Affairs team of the Chamber of Commerce, which will continue to offer activities on this market for interested companies.

In conclusion, Carlo Thelen is pleased with "the excellent cooperation of the partners of Luxembourg Trade and Invest in this project" and he is "convinced that we have a solid basis to elaborate together the economic framework program for Osaka 2025."

Additional information

The press releases of each mission organized by the Chamber of Commerce are available below:

Contact :
Chambre de Commerce du Luxembourg   
Affaires Internationales
+352 42 39 39 - 531
international@cc.lu

De gauche à droite: Cindy Tereba, Directrice Affaires Internationales, Daniel Sahr, Director at Luxembourg Pavilion @ Expo 2020 Dubai, Luc Frieden, Président et Carlo Thelen, Directeur Général de la Chambre de Commerce, et Anne-Marie Loesch, Head of Business Development & CSR