Journey of the nation

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

The United Arab Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 launched a video celebrating the UAE’s diversity, tradition, and ambition.  Titled “The Land of Dreamers Who Do”, the video tells the story of the UAE, as a home, to its dreamers over the past 50 years, and reflects on the life lived while looking forward with ambition to the future,  

Directed by Abu Dhabi-born, US-based, award-winning film director, Ray Haddad, the video shows the roots shared between all who call the UAE home, featuring a large spectrum of dreamers and achievers who have contributed to the journey of the nation.

“Growing up in the UAE, my dream has always been to authentically show what makes the UAE who ‘she’ truly is: its people,” he said. “I say ‘she’ because I’ve always seen the UAE as a humble young mother, who’s journey of resilience has led her to become a gatherer of people no matter where they came from,” he added.

Centered on the UAE Pavilion theme ‘Land of Dreamers Who Do’ the video tells the story of the UAE; from its ancient roots as a crossroads for people, goods, and ideas, to its transformation into a unified nation that is home to people from over 200 countries.

The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 focuses on the authentic human stories of the ‘Dreamers Who Do’, a collection of individuals who embody the spirit of the UAE and carry forward the legacy forged by the country’s original dreamer, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the nation.

From industry-leading innovators to creative minds and altruistic members of the community alike, the UAE’s dreamers from the past and present collectively inspire the next generation, motivating tomorrow’s dreamers to continue striving to realize their own ambitions.

The UAE Pavilion offers our story to the world. This story is an authentic lens into our heritage culture, shared values, and commitment to continually co-create the future together.

The Pavilion is open for visitors to experience the immersive multi-sensory journey daily from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

The UAE Pavilion is the host country pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and tells the story of the ‘Land of Dreamers Who Do’; from its ancient roots as a crossroads for people, goods and ideas, to its transformation into a unified nation which is home to people from over 200 countries.

The UAE Pavilion strives to tell authentic human stories, with the aim to elevate our collective sense of ambition, foster a sense of connectedness, encourage global and local stakeholders to connect and collaborate with the UAE, and invite the world to experience our story first-hand.

The Dreamers Who Do are a collection of individuals who embody the spirit of the UAE and carry forward the legacy forged by our country’s original dreamer, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the nation.

The UAE Pavilion is centred around the theme the Land of Dreamers Who Do, and showcases the unique attributes of the UAE as a welcoming home to people who share its values of ambition and humanity, authenticity and openness, and resilience and optimism.

The UAE Pavilion will engage its visitors with an immersive multi-sensory experience, where the essence of the UAE will be revealed through a series of true stories that capture different aspects of the country’s past, present and future. The ambition is to leave visitors with a deeper understanding of, and a continuing interest in, our heritage, our people, and our national story.

The UAE Pavilion is ready and equipped to welcome a diverse range of visitors throughout the duration of Expo 2020 Dubai, including but not limited to: citizens and residents, school children and youth, tourists, People of Determination, groups and delegations.

The UAE Pavilion is located within the Mobility District, immediately adjacent to Al Wasl Plaza, which is the centre of Expo 2020 Dubai.

With the purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 aspires to be the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges

Expo 2020 will be the biggest cultural gathering in the world, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – come together to create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever

Expo 2020’s sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone.

Throughout its six-month duration, Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to the age of 18.

Expo 2020 is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts.

Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and will be located on a 4.38km2 site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai.

Planned with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site will eventually be transformed into District 2020 – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future – after the conclusion of Expo 2020.

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.

Meanwhile, the Dubai world expo is off to a great start, with Expo 2020 Dubai welcoming more than 2.3 million ticketed visits during the first month (official figures from Expo).

In this context, France is proud to announce that more than 315,000 visitors have visited the France Pavilion in the same period.

The fast-queue system is working at its best and the waiting list never exceeds 10 minutes, in respect with the sanitary conditions taking place. Guests can also enjoy for the month of November jam-packed Rural and Urban Development themed activities.

The France Pavilion is inviting guests to photo walks, masterclasses, projection of short films, panel discussions, and keynote speeches to celebrate Expo’s theme week. In addition, visitors can also expect the new temporary exhibition by Chalhoub Group, ‘French art de vivre, a dream to share’.