Emirates and Spain engage in talks
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received a call from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in which they discussed efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries. Both the prince and the prime minister agreed in a call that more ways of development that strengthen investment, trade and the economy should be reviewed.
On the other hand, official media have witnessed the conversation, which in addition to business issues, has discussed Spain's participation in Expo 2020 in Dubai, to explore a variety of regional and international issues. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Expo pavilion earlier this month, where he highlighted the Spanish people's dedication to solidarity, creativity and innovation.
Spain's pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai is located in the Sustainability District and has been built by the Amman-Cánovas-Maruri architectural firm, which is made up of leading Spanish designers Atxu Amann Alcocer, Andrés Cánovas Alcaraz and Nicolás Maruri Mendoza. Spain's objective in this area is to become an example of intelligent creativity, capable of bringing people together in sustainable projects dedicated to science, technology, production and also in the fields of education and art.
Spain aims to showcase the values and personality of the Spanish people at this fair, as well as the country's commitment to the theme of the exhibition. In addition, one of its aims is to make the country more attractive to both tourists and investors. One of the projects carried out in this pavilion is the Spanish World School Chess Tournament, which brings together pupils from 293 schools and 53 countries who will play the final at the Dubai exhibition. Thus, Spain uses this resource as an educational tool linked to the objectives of the Emirates. Another of the exhibitions is 'the forest of intelligence', an interactive complex to understand how the actions we take determine the future and how we must know how to choose them.
Moreover, the exhibits combine Spain's ancient heritage with highly advanced and cutting-edge technologies, showing the nation's leadership in new methods of education with ecological themes and a look at entrepreneurship.
The exhibition also seeks to represent the cultural ties that bind Spain to the Arab world, through the example of language, as more than 4,000 words in the Spanish vocabulary have Arabic origins. On the other hand, the European country highlights its commitment to the preservation of history, emphasising that it has 48 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it the third country in the world to have these privileges. In turn, Spain adds to the exhibition that for the 28th consecutive year, it is the leading country in organ donation and represents 6% of all donations in the world.
Dubai Expo 2020 is proving to be an unqualified success. It is the first to be held in a Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian country and is reaping great rewards for the Emirates in every way. Despite the coronavirus a few days ago, the fair broke the visitor record with 7 million people visiting since it began on 1 October. In addition, to mitigate the effects of the virus and avoid any inconvenience, it has virtual visits that have exceeded 30 million tourists who have been able to take a live virtual tour of the exhibition.
The theme of the exhibition is "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". Emirates aims to make visitors and countries around the world feel that Dubai is a nation with a vision for the future based on sustainability. The fair will close its doors on 31 March 2022.
