By Tony Ofungi
Published October 10, 2021
Uganda Airlines has launched its inaugural flight to Dubai from Entebbe International Airport.
The launch comes just in time for the start of the Dubai Expo 2020 that runs October 5, 2021 – March 31, 2022. Here, Uganda has been offered a 213-square-metre, 2-floor Pavilion in the Opportunity Thematic District.
This flight, on October 4, 2021, marked the first international route for the national carrier since the airline was revamped in 2018.
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The 289-seat Airbus Neo A 300-800 series took to the skies at 12:18 pm with 76 passengers on board, including Tom Butime, the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. The flight was flagged off by Fred Byamukama, the Minister of State for Works and Transport, who acknowledged that the inaugural flight to Dubai had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yoweri T Kaguta Museveni, Uganda’s President, said that Uganda is ripe for investment, ready for profit-driven business, and that the time is right now. Meeting Ugandans living in the UAE, the President pledged that the Government of Uganda will make a considerable financial investment in them through their Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization to assist them in accessing loans or Ugandans in distress.
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There are 40,000 Ugandans living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) engaged in trade in agro-based products including avocado, pineapples, coffee, cocoa, dairy products, tea, and precious metals increasing from US$300 million in 2009 to US$1.85 billion in 2020. There are also several Ugandans in employment in hospitality, security and house help labour.
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Bob Mukiza, the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Investment Authority, said: “Today we surpassed our expectations. We came to Dubai Expo 2020 to show that Uganda is ready for business, to come to Uganda as an investor, and we hand hold you through that process. We have signed over 600 million worth of deals, and we intend to sign over 4 billion worth of deals. What this means for Uganda is that it is not jobs per se that provides the minimum wage, but we have to provide skills for the industrialists who are coming to hit the ground running.”
An eTurboNews article.