THE Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Philippines recently announced that a series of worldwide celebrations had already started to usher in Dubai Expo 2020, a grand showcase of the country’s advanced cosmopolitan and “profound culture” slated on October 20 of next year.
This was announced by Ambassador Hamed Saeed Al-Zaabi, ahead of the 48th National Day of the UAE on December 2.
According to Al-Zaabi, Dubai Expo 2020, billed as the “world’s greatest show,” will welcome an estimated 25 million visitors and spectators from 190 countries. The world fair, he said, will highlight the Arabian country as a “Nation of Tolerance.”
The ambassador also cited the continuous support of some 1 million Filipinos residing in the Gulf state, who comprise around 6 percent of the total number of its current population. Most of them contribute to the UAE’s robust economy as overseas workers in the fields of engineering, medicine and the services sector, among many others.
In his speech at an exclusive luncheon to launch the event to local journalists, Al-Zaabi described Dubai, UAE’s “global city,” as already an “expo in itself, where East meets West,” and the “world’s best brains” converge. These concepts will be embodied in the expos’ bold theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”
From the side of the Philippines, the embassy is closely working with government agencies, particularly with the Department of Trade and Industry. The latter, through Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman, revealed that it will help facilitate the entry of about P83 million in halal products to the Emirates.
The Emirati envoy cited the support of President Duterte for the efforts exerted by the Philippines for the global undertaking.
“Let’s work hard together for the best of our two countries; I am sure [Dubai] Expo 2020 would be offering great experiences and opportunities to the Philippines.” He said that the country’s participation in itself will be a reward for its efforts of extending its trade activities and achieving its economic goals in the UAE.
Grand-scale activations
IN downtown UAE, activations of grand scale have kicked-off the countdown as American artist Mariah Carey and Emirati star Hussain Al Jassmi headlined the celebrations at Burj Park on October 21.
According to Gulf News, visitors should prepare to be awed by high-tech innovations and endless possibilities: from autonomous cars, to space travel and daily entertainment. It will feature more than 60 live shows per day, “with everything from operas to A-listers, pop-up theaters to flash mobs, and sports events to national day celebrations.”
It said that the expo in 2020 is expected to gather delegates in a new, purpose-built venue, the Dubai World Trade Centre-Jebel Ali.
In a post, CNN Travel wrote that “organizers are anticipating lasting gains from the event, projecting an economic dividend of more than $33 billion and the creation of more than 900,000 jobs by 2031.” It has observed that spectacular national pavilions are being unveiled with great fanfare.
The Khaleej Times has it that Dubai Expo 2020 will wow visitors with 60 daily events across 173 days, showcasing the best of music, technology, creativity and culture, while 200 F&B outlets will feature famous chefs and cuisine from every corner of the world.
In 2013, Dubai won the right to host the world expo in 2020 amid a hotly contested event in Paris. The UAE, CNN says, will invest around $8 million contained in six years of preparation.
Al-Zaabi said Dubai Expo 2020 would be a great opportunity to bring the global community together to show UAE’s commitments, “and our engagements [in sharing resources,] facilities and wealth to connect minds for creating a better future.”
