Israel ‘very happy’ to take part in delayed Expo 2020 Dubai

A year after the normalisation of ties between Israel and the UAE, the occupation state is preparing to take part in the delayed Expo 2020 Dubai, AFP has reported. The programme is scheduled to begin on Friday and last for six months.

Israel’s pavilion at the expo has already been prepared. “We’re very happy to be here,” said a spokesman for the Israeli stand, Menachem Gantz. “This is the first time the expo is in the Middle East, and the first time Israel is participating in an event of such a large scale and importance [in an Arab country].”

The theme of the Israeli pavilion is written above it on an illuminated sign in Arabic and Hebrew: “Towards the future”

According to AFP, the pathways within the pavilion are made of a thin layer of concrete and sand-coloured rubber. “Our pavilion,” said Gantz, “is made of things that integrate us, that show how similar we are. The ‘sand’ we’re standing on symbolises the dunes, and the topography of Israel and the Emirates is very similar to it.”

The global expo, which Dubai hopes will attract tens of thousands of visitors and boost the economy, is set to open its doors to the public on 1 October after a one-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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