Immense excitement

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

The twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda is on display at the world expo ‘Expo Dubai 2020’ being held in Dubai following the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

Antigua and Barbuda’s pavilion placed in the ‘Mobility’ section of the expo exhibits the exceptional strides the Caribbean country has made in its socio-economic growth over the years.

Gilbert Antoine Boustany, Non-Resident Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Arab Emirates shared, “We are so delighted with the turnout for Expo 2020, visitors are showing immense excitement for discovering what the twin islands can offer. We are a community culture and are so eager to share that with the world.”

The pavilion has lined up many cultural and informative events throughout October to showcase the immense potential and opportunities both in tourism and other economic sectors.

Rich in history and culture, the Antigua and Barbuda Pavilion is divided into spaces where visitors can experience the country’s best-kept hidden treasures, ranging from its vibrant handicrafts to its history to its wide array of cultural foods, clothes and sports.

The pavilion has crossed a milestone of visitors within just one month and become one of the most-visited pavilions since Expo 2020 Dubai opened its doors on October 1, 2021.

The colourful exterior of the Antigua and Barbuda Pavilion attracted more than thousands of visitors in the first week of October itself. The response on weekends, particularly, has been exceptional. The pavilion reached its expected 100,000 visitors within the first month.

As the Official Automotive Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Nissan had a key participation, last week, at the first physical Expo Monthly Partner Meeting since the start of the pandemic. Held at the Nexus for People & Planet, the meeting was attended by senior executives from Nissan and the Expo 2020 Dubai team, in addition to associated Expo partners. Nissan highlighted its role in moving the future with intelligent mobility solutions by drawing on the brand’s unique experience in sustainable transportation and smart city solutions.

Nissan’s vision for a smarter, safer, and more connected world is closely linked to its corporate purpose of enriching people’s lives and is aligned with Expo’s themes of Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. Nissan also shed light on its exciting Let’s Move campaign that brings people together, excites change, and accelerates the shift towards a more sustainable future, reflecting Nissan’s position as an innovative, tech-forward brand that strives to make a positive impact on people and the planet.

Set to take place on the last Thursday of every month, the October Monthly Partner Meeting (MPM) featured Nissan – the Official Automotive Partner for Expo 2020 Dubai alongside Expo partners Mastercard, AV and far-UVC technology provider Christie, and UPS.

Thierry Sabbagh, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East said: “As a global leader in mobility and a major stakeholder in the region, we are proud to showcase the Future of Mobility at Expo’s first monthly partner meeting. Our strong partnership with Expo builds on our global expertise and rich 70-year heritage in the Middle East, fostered by long-standing and trusted relationships with our customers and our partners. One of many interactions throughout the six-month world fair, the Monthly Partner Meeting allows us to interact with different global and regional stakeholders in the shift towards a more sustainable future.” During the inaugural month of Expo 2020 Dubai, Nissan demonstrated its vision for the Future of Mobility with an exclusive showcase of the Ariya, the brand’s all-electric crossover. Making its first regional appearance from the global stage of Expo, the Ariya serves as a symbol of Nissan’s forward-looking journey into the future of electrification and sustainable mobility.

Nissan’s partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai cements the shared purpose of bringing together stakeholders to foster growth opportunities, create value and make advanced mobility solutions accessible to all. By participating in several panel discussions and fire-side chats throughout the six-month show, Nissan aims to engage with global, regional, and local stakeholders to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable future, while powering Expo 2020 Dubai with more than 600 vehicles, showcasing the brand’s very latest technology and innovation.

Nissan is a global car manufacturer that sells a full line of vehicles under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in four regions: Japan-ASEAN, China, Americas, and AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania).

Dubai is expected to see a significant economic boost in the coming period, which has become clear as signs of recovery are manifested in the state’s economic sector after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, especially as the UAE is hosting expo 2020 Dubai and a number of important international events and festivals.

Ismail Al Hammadi, Founder and CEO of Al Ruwad Real Estate, says that the actual recovery of the economic sector has an evident effect on the real estate sector, which has made a significant recovery and achieved an increase in sales value that has not been seen in the market for the past 10 years, with high demand for villas as the market enters an advanced stage of new project launches. Additionally, villas in general and flats and apartments in specific areas are in high demand, with price increases ranging between 2 and 3%.

The value of real estate sales in the first 9 months of 2021 increased by 45.15% over the value of 2020 sales, exceeding AED104 billion, and most of these sales were made in serviced real estate units.

According to Al Hammadi, during the third quarter of this year the market registered a convergence of sales transactions on the map and serviced real estate units. The sale index on the map improved as investors regained trust in the real estate market, the number of first-time buyers increased thanks to long-term state residency visas and the improved investment environment in various economic sectors as a result of government efforts and facilitations.

Al Hammadi added that the real estate sector is expected to see an expansion of the real estate first-time buyers circle in the market, an influx of new investors from new markets, as well as an increase in real estate prices, both in sales and rental, as the rate of investment return and rental return on real estate units recovers.

The Expo is going to be a grand event. The whole world will have now a reason to visit Dubai. The world is now hailing the vision and courage demonstrated by the leadership of Dubai and the UAE at this special time facing all the challenges and turning the challenges as blessings. About 3 to 5 percent of people visiting Expo 2020 is expected revisiting Dubai or planning to make Dubai their residence post the Expo.

In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.

World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. Today, four types of Expos are organised under the BIE’s auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano.