The theme selected for Expo 2020 Dubai ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ is relevant to all nations and will allow countries to highlight progress from many different perspectives being it economic, technological or economic development.  Expo 2020 Dubai aims to create an impressive and memorable experience for visitors who will be visiting Expo being for leisure as well as others seeking business opportunities. 

A diverse calendar of events for the six months period of Expo is currently being drawn up by Expo Organisers in collaboration with the participating countries and which includes educational programmes, sporting and musical events, workshops, and also business related activities.  We aim to bring together all those elements on the Malta Pavilion with a focus of working closely with Government, the private business community, and also those individuals who are interested in EXPO 2020.  Initiatives will also be planned in collaboration with other participating countries across a diversity of activities.

Since diplomatic relations were established in 1973 Malta has maintained healthy diplomatic and business relationship with Dubai, fostered by direct air links which have been in place for over a decade.  A Double Tax Agreement between the UAE and Malta has been in force since January 2008.  Likewise, various visit of business delegations have been held in both countries over the years and in fact; currently, Government of Malta is hosting a Press Delegation with an aim to promote Malta in the United Arab Emirates.   Malta Enterprise has been operating a Trade Centre in Dubai since 2002, together with Malta’s Consulate General in Dubai, which has been instrumental in strengthening the business and diplomatic relations between both countries in the region. 

Malta presence at Dubai Expo 2020 is an important avenue to capitalise on the opportunities presented in the region as above.  Other advantages of participation include:

1.       Putting Malta on the world map considering that more than 190 other countries are expected to be present at this event.

2.       Support the efforts of the Government of Malta and Maltese business community to continue building a presence in the region.

3.       An opportunity for Malta to promote relevant topics that can be covered under the Malta Pavilion Theme.

The Expo is a unique multi-cultural gathering that fuses together various elements and where the expected 25 million visitors will have the opportunity to discover more about the participating countries.  Participating countries must choose a theme for their own pavilion, which must be approved by the host country and which has to fit in with one of the sub-themes of Expo 2020 Dubai, being Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.  Malta’s theme centres around the Opportunity sub-theme, because it focuses on with a number of elements that are Malta’s strong-points.

Malta’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai will obviously also be portrayed through a raft of other things which will be blended together into one, such as using the exhibition space to its utmost, having an extensive range of marketing material and audiovisual material on Malta and, last but not least, a programme of events and activities including workshops, educational and informative programmes, musical events and business activities so that visitors of all ages and from all sectors can enjoy their experience at the Malta Pavilion.

 

Mr Anthony P Tabone is Consul General for Malta in Dubai