ZAGREB, 5 March 2022 - Croatia should "pay great attention" to the Gulf countries which are big investors, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Dubai on Saturday on a visit on the occasion of Expo 2022. 

"This part of the world, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, they are all countries we should pay great attention to," he said, adding that they invest a lot "thanks to their oil fields."

Plenković is visiting the UAE together with Finance Minister Zdravko Marić, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman and Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac. They will try to attract Arab investment at the Dubai-Croatia Business Forum scheduled for Sunday.

Plenković said it was a good opportunity to establish contacts with potential partners to increase trade. "I'm confident that it will return to the numbers we had before the COVID-19 pandemic, to about $95 million, as well as that the cooperation can be enhanced."

He said fast-growing economies such as the UAE, notably Dubai as "the centre of sustainable development, tourism and innovation" and Abu Dhabi, where 90% of the country's oil fields are, "have their role in the development of economic cooperation with Croatia."

Plenković met with Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE prime minister with whom he visited the Croatian pavilion at Expo 2022, while on Sunday he is due to meet with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

National Board of the Republic of Croatia in charge of presenting Croatia at the World Show EXPO 2020 in Dubai reported that they have selected the concept for the Croatian presentation at the exhibition.

Goran Rihelj writes for hrturizam.hr that joint bidders REAL GRUPA were selected as the winners, Studio Putinja were runners-up, while Randić and Associates won third place. The tender included the creation of the concept and the idea, the implementation at the site, maintenance and de-installation. Croatia will be presented at the exhibition as the "Country that Inspires Great Minds". The pavilion's outside decorations will be inspired by the recognizable chequered pattern of the Croatian coat of arms (and the national football team jersey), while the interior will be decorated by the multimedia projections of the Croatian natural and cultural heritage, along with the Croatian inventors, artists and numerous influential personalities.

Ministry of Tourism reported that the presentation of the best Croatian innovative projects, ideas, creations and creative people at the Expo World Show will have a positive impact on the complete Croatian economy. That Ministry was put in charge of the preparation for the participation by the government, and representatives from the 11 different ministries were appointed to the National Board.

World Expo Dubai 2020 is expected to, for the first time ever, include all of the countries in the world. It is also expected to attract over 25 million visitors to the centre built near Dubai for the event. The organisers of the Expo say that their goal is to create incredible experiences that will wow, educate and inspire visitors from all over the world and any age during the 173 days of the event. It is also aimed to bring participants, world leaders, innovators and politicians closer to one another so that the ideas and practices can be exchanged, and creative dialogue initiated, which will bring the next generation of innovation.

You can see more of the Croatian pavilion for Expo 2020 below (photos from hrturizam.hr):

ZAGREB, July 30, 2018 - Croatia has selected and signed a rental agreement for a pavilion at the EXPO 2020 fair in Dubai which will be held between 1 October 2020 and 10 April 2021, the Tourism Ministry said in a press release on Monday.