France’s top companies bring French expertise to Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference & Exhibition

United Arab Emirates - Dubai, March 10, 2021:  Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy through its International Organizations and Doners department, will be participating in the 17th edition of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition (DIHAD) through its International Organizations and Doners department, taking place from 15 to 17 March 2021 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Held under the theme “Aid and Coronavirus, a focus on Africa”, DIHAD 2021 will highlight the critical challenges facing people in Africa, which is impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and address the needs of humanitarian aid workers contributing constructively to a more effective global approach towards the African continent.

Business France is organising a French Pavilion at DIHAD 2021, which offers a platform for global humanitarian leaders and key decision-makers from leading international NGOs, UN agencies, donors, government bodies and suppliers from across the world to meet and network with a view to building bridges between international humanitarian communities to develop a framework illustrating the challenges associated with linking humanitarian and development assistance.

The leading French companies participating in DIHAD 2021 under the umbrella of Business France include Ambrelia, Bolloré Logistics, Famoco, Fonto de Vivo , IMeBio, Nutriset and Tysilio, which will take the best use of the major event to exhibit their latest products and services, while sharing their expertise with other participating exhibitors and experts in the humanitarian sector.

The French exhibitors will interface with the main development operators in the fields of health, water/sanitation, energy, telecommunications, logistics, transport-storage and temporary accommodation solutions under one roof, where they can approach potential buyers and partners from international and governmental development agencies.

The three-day event also serves as an ideal platform for French exhibitors to network, identify innovative solutions and seize new opportunities to help support crisis-affected communities across Africa, which is the main focus of this year’s edition of DIHAD.

They can also engage in B2B meetings with new buyers and strike rewarding deals, given that DIHAD 2021 is expected to attract over 6,000 visitors and participants from over 84 countries, with a high level of speakers and panelists bringing together views and initiatives from Africa and beyond.

It is worth noting that France is ranked among the world’s top development aid donors as it ranks 5th globally among aid providers, behind the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.

According to the latest available data published by OECD in 2019, official development assistance (ODA) by member countries of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) totalled USD 152.8 billion, an increase of 1.4% over 2018.

France Total ODA represents USD 12,2 billion, 0.44 % of its gross national income (GNI). This increase is explained by contributions to the Green Climate Fund, supporting the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and by increased activity, particularly on subsidized loans, by the French Development Agency (AFD)