Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The month-long activities by Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been started with the aim of showcasing the potential for investment in tourism, agriculture, mines & minerals, SEZs and energy, infrastructure and IT sectors during the month of January of 2022.

In a ceremony held in Pakistan Pavilion on Sunday, Pakistan Ambassador to UAE Afzal Mahmood inaugurated the mega exhibition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the presence of guests from different segments of Pakistani diaspora residing in the UAE.

Chief Executive Officer, KP-Board of Investment & Trade Hassan Daud Butt, Director General, KP-Culture & Tourism Authority, Kamran Ahmad Afridi, Vice Chairman KP-Board of Investment & Trade, Engr. Said Mehmood, Director General, Trade and Development Rizwan Tariq, Pakistan Business Association, Pakhtunkhwa Business Council, and others were also present on the occasion, Besides, a large number of visitors also attended the ceremony.

The envoy formally inaugurated by cutting the ribbon.

Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Mahmood said that participation in the Dubai Expo was a big achievement for Pakistan, which will help attract tourists and investors to various sectors of the economy.

He said that projects in tourism, agriculture, industry, mines and minerals, energy, Special Economic Zones, small and medium enterprises, infrastructure and information technology will be presented to the global audience.

He further added that government had taken a number of steps for providing conducive environment to the investors to invest in the above sectors. He lauded the efforts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team for organizing the exhibition and showcasing the local products and artifacts to the world.

Kamran Afridi, MD, KP-CTA said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was participating in the Dubai Expo as per the visions of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to lure more tourists and investors to the province.

“We are going to display our tourist spots, cultural heritage sites, indigenous Kalash culture, historic Gandhara Civilization, sites for adventure tourism in northern and southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a lot of more to the tourists and investors to visit these marvelous places and invest in the sector,” he added.

Hassan Daud, CEO KP-BOIT briefed the participants about the KP’s investment potential in key sectors and the steps taken by the KP Government to facilitate investors and create enabling environment through Ease of Doing Business. He further invited the participants to visit Pakistan Pavilion during the month of January witness the craft, culture, tourism and discuss investment projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province of Pakistan with five years Investment Promotion strategy and the same was shared with the participants also. The officials from the KP province told that the current government has been giving priority to cottage industry to flourish while the 5-year investment policy also huge benefit for the investors.

The Vice Chairman KP-Board of Investment, Engr. Said Mehmood also addressed the occasion and appreciated the support extended by the local business community to KP in terms of engaging with investors.

Malaysia Healthcare:  Malaysia Healthcare continues to showcase its excellence during the Malaysia Healthcare Excellence week from 3rd – 8th January 2022, on the grounds of the Malaysia Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai, with the participation of many leading industry players in the country such as Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, TMC Fertility and Women’s Specialist Centre, DoctorOnCall as well as Pharmaniaga, Malaysia’s largest pharmaceutical company.

 The Malaysia Healthcare Excellence week was embarked with the launching of Malaysia as Asia’s Hub for the treatment of Hepatitis C.

Malaysia’s positioning as a treatment hub for Hepatitis C is in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mission to reduce new viral Hepatitis infections by 90% and reduce deaths by viral Hepatitis by 65% by 2030. Using a combination treatment of Ravidasvir and Sofosbuvir, Malaysia will be offering treatment for Hepatitis C with a cure rate of 97% and a cost reduction of 95%, making Malaysia the first country in the world to receive a conditional approval to use the treatment.

“This initiative is part of our recovery plans for the healthcare travel industry in Malaysia. We aim to become the global focal point for Hepatitis C treatment. In response to the World Hepatitis Day 2021 themed, “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”, Malaysia is ready and raring to move forward with a treatment solution for those infected with the disease,” said the Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), Mohd Daud Mohd Arif.

“With our continuous commitment to excellence, safety, and quality, we are ready to provide the treatment to healthcare travelers from around the world, especially the Middle East market, and Expo 2020 Dubai is the perfect platform for us to showcase our strengths as a leading healthcare destination,” he added.

The opening ceremony also saw MHTC welcoming more new partnerships to its long list of game-changing partnerships and collaborations. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged at the Malaysia Pavilion with renowned players such as International Assistance Sdn Bhd (IASB) and HADID International Services (HADID). These partnerships will further allow the industry to gain new customer pipelines for the industry while building brand presence for Malaysia Healthcare in both the Middle East and ASEAN markets.

“Having successfully navigated the pandemic over the past 18 months, we recognise how crucial it is to form strategic partnerships to catalyse industry recovery moving into 2022. It is key for Malaysia Healthcare to identify and join forces with partners who share the same value system and commitment towards service excellence and upholding safety standards. Thus, it is an honour for Malaysia Healthcare to collaborate with IASB and HADID as we jointly provide access to a safe, trusted, world-class quality, and seamless patient experiences for healthcare travellers,” continued Mohd Daud.

Known for delivering world-class quality healthcare services which are both easily accessible and competitively affordable, Malaysia is fortifying its healthcare offerings through positioning itself as the Fertility and Cardiology Hubs of Asia, Cancer Care Centre of Excellence and Hepatitis C Treatment Hub of Asia. Also representing Malaysia Healthcare at Expo 2020 Dubai are two of the leading hospitals in fertility treatments, Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara and TMC Fertility Centre.

TMC Fertility will be showcasing its advancements in genetic technology through their cutting-edge Fertility GeneCode screening programmes, which accelerates IVF fertility treatments. Commenting on this is its Chief Executive Officer, Irene Kwan, “By adopting and introducing innovative solutions to our IVF fertility treatments, we are able to reduce the need for repeated cycles which contributes to positive experiences and results for our patients. This commitment to quality care and innovation is why TMC Fertility remains as the top fertility service provider in the region.”

Malaysia has been recognised as the “Destination of the Year” by the International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) for four years (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020) and the “Best Country in the World for Healthcare” based on International Living’s Global Retirement Index from 2015 to 2021.

Expo 2020 Dubai participants can visit the Malaysia Pavilion from today until 8th January 2022.