Dubai: Emirati volunteers for the UAE pavilion at Expo Milan 2015 say they are broadening visitors’ understanding of the UAE.
The volunteers said that visitors to the pavilion often came up with queries that reflected misconceptions about the country, ranging from questions about traditional clothing, to women’s rights, and even the country’s name.
“Why do you wear the abaya and kandora,” said 23-year-old Maitha Al Tamimi explaining the nature of queries the volunteers faced. “This was a common question. We explained to them that the abaya is worn as a sign of modesty … we also told them that there are different abaya designs and colours.”
She also said that some visitors had asked if women in the UAE could drive and work.
Others thought that Dubai is a country, said Ammar Al Maeeni, 28. “They thought that the UAE is a city in Dubai,” he said.
Al Maeeni recalled other visitors saying that the UAE economy is only dependent on oil.
Hanan Al Ali, 30, recalled how many visitors had been taken completely by surprise when they realised the development the UAE had witnessed.
Expo Milan 2015 is a six-month exhibition that is running from May 1 to October 31 in Milan, Italy. It hopes to attract over 20 million visitors.
Meanwhile, the volunteers were also able to widen visitors’ knowledge of Dubai Expo 2020, a six-month trade fair that is expected to attract 25 million visitors when it is held from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
“Some didn’t know that Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai, while some did know and were interested in getting more details about the Expo theme,” Al Ali said.
Some of the volunteers said that they too expanded their understanding of Expo 2020 through their volunteer experience at Expo Milan.
The 450 volunteers were able to participate in Expo Milan by registering for Emirates Foundation’s Takatof volunteer programme.
The volunteers took part in a one-day workshop before travelling to Milan to learn about how to welcome visitors to the UAE pavilion and respond to their questions, said Asmaa Al Muhairi, 27, who volunteered for three weeks from May with around 16 other people.
Visitors to the UAE pavilion, which is run by the National Media Council, are from all around the world and represent different age groups.
“There were children, young people and seniors … 70 per cent of visitors were Italian and 30 per cent were international including Arabs,” Asmaa said.
Al Ali said that the UAE pavilion attracts “at least 6,000 visitors per day”.
The volunteers’ responsibilities included giving visitors a tour of the pavilion and answering their questions about the UAE.
“We would welcome the visitors in the Emirati way, and be photographed with them in our national dress,” Al Maeeni said.
The UAE pavilion features 12 cubes that mention 12 challenges related to energy, water and food that are faced by the UAE, and their solutions. Also, a film on the UAE called ‘Family Tree’ is screened and information on Expo 2020 is given to visitors, Al Maeeni explained.
One of the challenges highlighted is the UAE’s reliance on food imports, he said. The UAE imports more than 90 per cent of its food needs.
“Another challenge is that the UAE is one of the sunniest places in the world. The solution to this is Shams 1 [a concentrated solar power plant], which delivers energy to 20,000 homes,” he added.
After learning more about the UAE at the pavilion, many visitors said that they were interested in travelling to the country and attending Expo 2020, Al Ali said.
For the volunteers, their work at Expo Milan widened their understanding of different cultures and helped others better understand their culture.
“I felt that this was a good opportunity to do volunteer work and become an ambassador to my country at the same time,” Asmaa said.
Maitha, who has been volunteering with Takatof since 2012, said Expo Milan marked her first volunteer experience abroad.
