ASTANA: The UAE presented Arabic music and dance to an international audience at the Expo 2017 Astana on Wednesday.
At the UAE pavilion, visitors were shown the UAE’s progress in developing sustainable energy. The Astana Expo, a smaller event than Dubai 2020 will be, is devoted to a single topic: future energy.
Mansour Al Mansouri, Director-General of the UAE’s National Media Council (NMC), the body responsible for representing the UAE in Astana, told attendees that the UAE had a clear renewable energy strategy that sought to diversify energy sources, balancing renewable energy with nuclear and clean fossil fuel generation.
“Expo 2017 Astana reaffirmed the importance of clean energy, its rapid expansion and the need to further develop its technologies,” he said. “This aligns with the UAE’s strategy to diversify its energy resources and rely more on clean energy.”
Within the UAE he cited the creation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) in Abu Dhabi, and projects such as Masdar City and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, as examples of the UAE’s dedication to renewable energy.
He added, “Through the values of our leadership and their holistic approach to comprehensive development and international cooperation, the UAE’s activities go beyond its borders. The nation has successfully managed to effectively transfer its experiences in supporting and funding renewable energy projects through grants and soft loans. These include the UAE Pacific Partnership Fund and the cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the International Renewable Energy Agency, among others, all of which reflect the country’s pioneering status and efforts to develop various clean energy solutions internationally.”
The Astana Expo, due to close on September 10 after three months continuous operation, is the last Expo before Expo 2020 Dubai.
“As the first expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, the 2020 event is not only a source of pride for all Emiratis and expats,” Al Mansouri said, “but a testament to the country’s achievements and our leadership’s aspirations to build a more innovative and prosperous future.
“Moreover, we trust that our event will yield equally significant outcomes as those we have witnessed at Expo 2017 Astana.”
Following Al Mansouri’s speech, Emirati flagbearers, musicians and dancers led a procession through the Expo site to the UAE pavilion, which has been run entirely by Emirati volunteers from the UAE’s ‘Takatof’ volunteer programme.
During the three months of the Astana Expo, the UAE pavilion received more than half a million visitors, with a 91 per cent satisfaction rate.
