Israel grateful to UAE for Expo 2020 Dubai invite

UAE – Israel is grateful to the UAE for inviting it to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai even before relations were normalised, the country’s Expo chief has said.

“Israel got the invitation for Expo 2020 Dubai 18 months prior to the signing of the Abraham Accords. We are thankful for that,” Elazar Cohen, Israel’s Expo Commissioner, told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.

The international trade fair organised by Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was initially scheduled to begin on October 2020, but got postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Israeli pavilion

Cohen said work on Israel’s pavilion at the expo site in Dubai is nearing completion. Speaking about the design and theme, Cohen said the pavilion reflects Israel’s “openness” to the Arab world and a sense of belonging to the region. “The pavilion is therefore an open space, like a living room to host the Expo visitors. This could be the only pavilion where you can see the horizon.”

Its logo is a combination of Hebrew and Arabic languages. “The logo is a fusion of Arabic on the upper side and Hebrew in the lower part. In English, it translates roughly into ‘Towards Tomorrow’.”

The open design is meant to showcase Israel “as a place of innovation, offering a vision and horizon in dealing with the challenges of humanity, with emphasis on challenges in the immediate environment — agriculture, water, medicine, communications …”

The design elements, such as the sand dune and a shaded Middle Eastern street, also show Arab flavour.

Cohen said that in addition to the 1,550 square metres given by the organisers, Israel will build 2,000sqm around it. The pavilion has seven gates with no walls and no borders. The stairs leading to the upper floor is arched by large LED screens that will display different aspects of Israeli society and its culture.

The innovation corridor will showcase the best of Israel’s tech and innovation. “We will have many Israeli innovations and the best of our advanced technologies.

“We believe that the Expo in general should create the right atmosphere for our countries as well as industries and societies to strengthen, widen and deepen relations. Part of it is economic and commercial relations.”

Cohen said Expo is a platform where both the UAE and Israel bring their respective strengths to the table and find ways to work together.

“The UAE can bring entrepreneurship and access to many markets that Israel does not have. The UAE is a hub for people, commodities and finance. And Israel will bring to the table its strengths like innovation and technology. Together we can build new synergies that can be represented in the entire world,” said the official.

Through World Expo 2020, “the fruits of the Abraham Accords will reach the people of both countries”.

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