UAE Pavilion announces participation of the country in Expo 2025 Osaka
A rendition of the UAE Pavilion Expo 2025 Osaka.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The UAE Pavilion at Expo has announced their participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, commencing in April 2025 under the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’. The announcement was made through a groundbreaking ceremony held at the UAE Pavilion’s plot on the Expo 2025 Osaka site on Yumeshima Island.
The ceremony was attended by Shihab Al Faheem, Ambassador of the UAE to Japan, Expo organisers, official dignitaries and high-level officials. The event marked the start of construction of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka and the official handover of the plot by the Expo organisers.
Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, said during the event that “we are honoured to mark this occasion at the remarkable Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan, where nations will come together to share the latest technologies, foster innovative ideas, and collaborate on solutions to address the global challenges facing humanity.
This World Expo comes at a pivotal moment for both the United Arab Emirates and Japan, as we strive to enhance our collaboration and work together to empower lives and achieve a sustainable future for all. Since 1971, the UAE has been steadfast in its commitment to global solutions, and we remain dedicated to shaping a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Expo 2025 Osaka focuses on addressing critical global challenges through its sub-themes Saving Lives, which emphasises protecting lives; Empowering Lives, dedicated to enriching individuals’ lives and expanding their potential; and Connecting Lives, aimed at engaging everyone, building communities, and enriching society.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, the Ambassador of the UAE to Japan revealed that the UAE Pavilion will respond to Expo 2025 Osaka’s sub-theme Empowering Lives by highlighting meaningful stories of the past, present and future, centered around the UAE’s ambitious efforts in innovation and R&D across healthcare, space exploration and sustainable technologies. The pavilion will also serve as a collaborative platform for co-creating solutions that drive collective progress.
Located in the Empowering Lives zone and in close proximity to the Japan Pavilion, the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka will participate as a Type A self-built pavilion, making it one of the largest country pavilions at the World Expo in Osaka. The UAE Pavilion’s design is inspired by the date palm tree.
It combines traditional Emirati materials, specifically palm tree rachis from agricultural waste, with Japanese expertise in wooden building techniques. During the ceremony, the Ambassador explained that the design concept is inspired by ancestors whose values of conservation and coexistence with the environment, shaped their mindful use of resources and preservation of the land. The initiative seeks to re-envision new methods and materials inspired by the UAE’s heritage and culture, demonstrating how the past can empower the present and the future.
The Ambassador further said that “we are thrilled about the UAE’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, which underscores the enduring and prosperous relationship between the UAE and Japan. For over 52 years, our diplomatic relations have fostered significant industrial, cultural, and economic exchange and growth.
The UAE is honoured to participate in the next World Expo in Osaka, carrying forward the spirit of global collaboration by previously hosting the world at Expo 2020 Dubai.”
“Our relationship began even before the union of all emirates into a single country in 1971. Since Abu Dhabi’s first participation in Expo Osaka back in 1970, our partnership has flourished, exemplifying mutual respect and collaboration.
We extend our gratitude to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) for giving us the opportunity to further strengthen the bonds between our nations and the world, as we work together towards a sustainable and prosperous future for all,” he added.
Two Emirati students, Abdulla Al Hosani and Ahmad Aldhanhani, currently pursuing higher education in Japan, were chosen to host the groundbreaking ceremony, conducted in Japanese. As part of ongoing youth empowerment efforts and highlighting the deep relationship between the UAE and Japan, the students expressed their profound honour to be part of the event and emphasised their commitment to serving their country.
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka will offer a diverse range of programming designed for visitors of all ages, from children to adults. It will also facilitate opportunities for creating and deepening connections among diplomats, innovators, researchers, academics, business leaders, thought leaders and students.
Through interactive exhibits, engaging workshops and collaborative events, the pavilion aims to inspire and foster meaningful exchanges, highlighting the UAE’s commitment to innovation, education and global collaboration. Expo 2025 Osaka runs from April 13 to October 13, 2025. The UAE Pavilion’s announcement comes after its successful participation in Expo 2023 Doha, Qatar, where the pavilion offered an informative, multisensory journey under the title ‘Nurturing Legacy’.
The UAE Pavilion at Expo serves as a platform to bring together people and innovations to address issues facing humanity through multiple guest experiences storytelling, content curation and programming, guided by the core values of ambition and humanity, optimism and resilience, authenticity and openness.
Each UAE Pavilion presentation shares stories of people, projects and ideas from across the Emirates, in response to the core theme set by the Expo organiser, creating opportunities to connect and inspire audiences at each Expo. The UAE’s participation in International Expos is administered by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.
