Israeli pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was officially inaugurated
Israeli pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was officially inauguratedPhoto: MFA

Yesterday evening (Thursday 07/10), the inauguration ceremony for the Israeli Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai was held and attended by some 300 respected Israeli and Emirati guests, led by H.E Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Yoel Razvozov, and featured participation by the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Amir Halevi, Deputy Director General of Public Diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry, Noam Katz, the Commissioner of the Israeli Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, Elazar Cohen, the Israeli Consul General to Dubai, Ilan Sztulman, and Rabbi Elie Abadie. Rabbi Duchman installed a mezuzah on the Pavilion during the opening ceremony.

This is the first time that the State of Israel has hosted a national pavilion at an event of this magnitude in an Arab country. The invitation to participate was offered to Israel as early as 2018, even before the decision to establish official ties between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Israeli Pavilion was established under the leadership of the Foreign Ministry. The steering committee, which included 17 different government ministries, the JNF, and the Israel Electric Corporation, was headed by the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Israeli Pavilion is expected to host a variety of different economic events, conferences, and business meetings in the fields of smart transportation, agriculture, water, fintech, medicine, science and space, AI, health, cyber security, renewable energy, tourism, sustainability, social economy, and more. Dozens of business delegations from Israel and around the world are also expected to visit the Pavilion and hold business meetings.

According to organizers, approximately 15 million visitors are expected to be exposed to the Israeli Pavilion’s content during the six months in which the exhibition will be held.

The Israeli Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, designed and built by the AVS company, was launched under the theme of “Connecting Ideas – Creating the Future”, and titled “Towards Tomorrow”. The Pavilion’s design was inspired by the desert dunes common to both Israel and the Gulf states. The Pavilion is open, with no walls or checkpoints, and showcases openness and a welcoming atmosphere to guests, facilitating exposure to Israeli content even for those who only stand nearby. This all accurately reflects the idea that tomorrow’s power is the ability to connect us, and that creating a better future for all of humanity is within reach if we connect our minds and unite forces.

The sub-topics selected to lead the expo are “Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability”, which enable Israel to present its capabilities in a variety of such areas as agriculture, cyber, medical equipment and instruments, water technologies, are more.

Minister of Tourism, Yoel Razvozov: “Peace absolutely allows us to forge a new reality in the Middle East – a reality that will bring prosperity, security, and stability for all. We believe that in order to achieve a better tomorrow – positive and practical steps must be taken already today. The exhibition at the Expo is a fantastic opportunity to engage in shared challenges together, and to create new opportunities together. I am happy to invite you all to come and visit our country!”

The Commissioner of the Israeli Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, Elazar Cohen: “Today, we installed a mezuzah at the entrance to the Israeli Pavilion, transforming it into our home. I have dreamed of this day for many years, and in this historic moment, I would like to thank both the Israeli and United Arab Emirates governments for fulfilling this dream. The Israeli Pavilion is open to all. Many things separate us, but the shared challenges we face and the hope for a better tomorrow are what unite us. Together, we can transform our future and better the tomorrow of us and our children – and that is what we shall do!”