Looking Global
Namibia and the
World Expo in Dubai
T
he Republic of Namibia will be participating in the Expo 2020 Dubai, which will be taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 2021 until March 2022. The world exhibition was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Expo 2020 Dubai is the first ever to be hosted in the Middle East, under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and it is the first mega event to be hosted since the onset of the pandemic. “For 170 years, World Expos have provided a platform to showcase the greatest innovations that have shaped the world we live in today. Expo 2020 will continue that tradition with the latest technology from around the globe.” World Expos are one of the oldest and largest international events on the planet, arranged every five years and lasting six months. It is a festival for all, where everyone can experience, explore, innovate and have fun by sharing ideas and working together. In the past, World Expos have been the birthplace of phenomenal innovations and the celebration of human ingenuity. According to Expo 2020 Dubai: “Many food innovations have tickled tastebuds and debuted at World Expos, including popcorn and Heinz Ketchup at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition in 1876, and ice cream cones at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis in 1904. Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the world’s first telephone in 1876 at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine. The Japan World Exposition Osaka 1970 gave visitors the first opportunity to discover the connectivity that mobile phone technology offered. The first live TV broadcast was made at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 and Super Hi-Vision Theater – commonly known as Ultra HDTV – debuted at the Expo 2005 Aichi in Japan. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, one of the first mechanical computers, was on display at the 1862 London International Exhibition on Industry and Art, and visitors to the Seattle
Century 21 Exposition in 1962 were stunned by IBM’s Shoebox – an early computer that responded to vocal commands.” In Dubai there will be more than 200 participants including countries, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions. To date, 191 nations from across the world have confirmed their participation at Expo 2020. Organisers are expecting a total of up to 25 million physical visits between October and March 2022. Namibia’s theme for Expo 2020 Dubai is Preserving and Utilising Natural Treasures for Future Generations: The Opportunity of a Lifetime. The term Natural Treasures was selected to describe a wide range of treasurable resources that Namibia is blessed with, from energy and ecology to people and culture. Namibia will place special emphasis on sustainability and attracting foreign investment, highlighting sectors such as renewable energy, marine diamonds and minerals, tourism and conservation and cultural heritage. Other sectors that will be showcased during Namibia’s expo presence include education, trade and finance, agriculture, the blue economy, health, housing development, manufacturing and transport and logistics. Under the mantra Celebrating Namibia, our country’s pavilion and participation in Expo events will strive to showcase all the natural wonders, enigmatic people and incredible opportunities that await in the Land of the Brave. Find out more at www.expo2020dubai.com or www.namibiaexpo2020dubai.com
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