Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has an impressive national presence at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Occupying an area of 6,000 square metres in the heart of the Expo site, the UAE pavilion, designed by world-famous architectural team Foster and Partners, showcases the prosperity, harmony, culture and innovation of the UAE.
The UAE pavilion is located in the eastern section of the Expo site, south of the river and within easy reach of the Chinese pavilion on the opposite side of the main thoroughfare.
After several years of planning and development, the UAE pavilion opened right on time on May 1, welcoming the people of China and the world to a unique exhibition housed within a glittering building, whose design is a creative interpretation of sand dunes. Amid all the glitz and glamour of the Chinese celebrations, and following a truly spectacular evening of fireworks, sound and light that seemed to engulf the whole city and take over the whole sky, the UAE's opening was a relatively quiet affair.
"This is a great day for China, and a great day for the UAE", said the UAE's Ambassador to China, Omar Al Bitar. "The United Arab Emirates is proud to bring a small part of our country to China in the shape of these elegant sand-dunes. We are also very happy to welcome all our visitors to hear our story. It is one for which the theme of Expo 2010, ‘Better City Better Life' could hardly be more apt. Thanks to the vision and wisdom of our leaders and the Government of the UAE, the country has grown from very humble beginnings to become a world centre of innovation, development and creativity.
"The dunes that we have chosen to represent the UAE remind us where we have come from and their glittering undulations also celebrate what we have achieved and where we are heading. The UAE is particularly happy to participate in Expo 2010 and we thank the organisers for this wonderful opportunity to showcase the Emirates in China and to participate in the vigorous forum on what is required to improve the lives of city dwellers. We are keen to share our experiences with others and to learn from the 189 countries that are participating in this global event."
The UAE's Commissioner General, Salem Al Ameri, thanked the Ambassador for his words of encouragement and reiterated the UAE's excitement and anticipation of participating in such a large Expo event. "We have a great story to tell," he told the gathering.
"We look forward to welcoming you all, not just to the Pavilion, but also to our website [www.uaepavilion.com] and to the Emirates themselves."
The pavilion, he added, has a built-up area of 3,452 square metres and has three main display booths, an information centre, a business centre and other facilities occupying 3,900 square metres.
