“The World in a Country” is the theme of Portugal’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, starting in October 2020 and with a duration of six months. The Portugal pavilion is almost built and is integrated into the Sustainability area, one of the sub-themes of the world exhibition.
Ana Valado
Expo 2020 Dubai will be held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, promoting economic, scientific, technological and cultural exchange between several countries in the world.
The main theme of the Exhibition will be “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, divided into three sub-themes – Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity -, offering countries the opportunity to share their development and innovation experiences, disseminate ideas and projects about the future and also to jointly explore new approaches to these issues.
With the aim of tackling the most pressing challenges we face today, Expo 2020 Dubai will include the “Programme for People and Planet” focused on five areas: Cultural – “Build Bridges”; Social Development – “Leave no One Behind”; Sustainability – “Live In Balance”; Business – “Thrive Together” and Centennial -”UAE Vision 2071” this last area dedicated to strategic issues for the UAE.
According to Celso Guedes de Carvalho, commissioner-general Portugal Expo 2020 Dubai, the “Thrive Together” area has a special relevance, offering a platform for business and partnerships between governments and citizens. This theme includes a set of products, events and activities that will help foster a global economy, more resilient and with a more robust growth.
The Expo 2020 masterplan covers an area of 438 hectares and reflects a symmetric design where we can tell the three theme areas, in a petal shape. For each of these areas, a dedicated pavilion was designed: Earth – for Sustainability, Alif – for Mobility and Possible Mission – for Opportunity.
Portugal Pavilion
The Portugal pavilion, which is almost ready, is located in the Sustainability area, providing an opportunity to draw attention to the problem of plastic in the oceans. This theme will also be reflected in the exhibition contents of the Portugal pavilion, highlighting the seven strategic areas where Portugal plays or has ambitions to play a relevant role on the world stage: Aerospace, Science, Blue Economy, Entrepreneurship, Renewable Energies, History and Culture, Tourism and Hospitality.
Celso Guedes de Carvalho: “The fact that the Portuguese pavilion is located in the Sustainability District offers huge opportunities for Portugal to become a benchmark and stand out in this particular field. Especially because Expo 2020 Dubai aims at becoming a benchmark and a case study as regards this theme, in a permanent challenge for the participating countries to adopt an attitude that follows the thinking, methodologies and practices, from the construction of the pavilion to its operation with “Plastic” and “Carbon” as the two elements with greater focus and attention.
Earth – Sustainbility Pavilion
ALIF – Mobility Pavilion
However, as the commissioner-general says: “The global theme of Portugal’s participation is far more comprehensive and reflects a vision of our position in the world. “Portugal – A World in a Country”, the theme and concept under which we go back to the major world exhibitions are there to convey our multiculturalism, which started with globalization in the 15th century leading the Portuguese to know different peoples, allowing language and culture to absorb influences from all continents, but also to expand its spread, thus making Portuguese the 5th most spoken language in the world ”.
Thus, Portugal’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai goes beyond the pavilion, with an area of 1,860 m2, and will be there in the most relevant stages of Expo 2020 Dubai and other pavilions.
This is the first time participation of Portugal in a world exhibition is being operationalised without Parque Expo. Celso Guedes de Carvalho adds: “As commissioner-general I have the responsibility to ensure the definition of the general conceptual lines, the program and cultural activities in joint work with an Advisory Council and an Interministerial Working Group. The operational dimension and activities of commercial diplomacy are ensured by AICEP. Coordination at the government level is ensured by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ”
Celso Guedes de Carvalho recalls that: “These world exhibitions are the 3rd largest event in the world and throughout their 175 years of existence they have always been important platforms for the dissemination of science and technology, culture and civilization, with remarkable contributions for innovation and architectural discourse. Every five years, and for six months, these exhibitions welcome the world and its diversity as a stage of enthusiasm and expression of the personality of each of the participating countries.
The person in charge of coordinating the Portuguese presence at the Exhibition adds that: “Expo 2020 Dubai will be the most representative ever, with 190 countries already confirmed, thus enhancing the intensification of the dialogue between peoples and nations”. “It will certainly become a very relevant stage for Portugal”, he concludes.
Possible Mission – Opportunity Pavilion
In direct speech:
Celso Guedes de Carvalho
Commissioner-General Portugal Expo 2020 Dubai
Has the Pandemic, and the resulting postponement of the Exhibition, brought some changes to the event, in terms of the number of participants and programs already defined?
Yes. After a period of adaptation and reflection, Expo 2020 Dubai shared the programmatic and operational adjustments. Some themes became more prominent, namely those associated with information technology, health and well-being. The program for the area of thought was reinforced allowing for many speakers to apply and cases to be submitted. Economic diplomacy has taken on a new dimension with the creation of Thematic Business Forums and Global Business Forums. And a Digital Pre-Expo was created to anticipate and test the program of the thematic weeks.
After analysing this new reality, we had to consider new scenarios, review deadlines, adapt the project and different components (budget, exhibition content, program, communication) and, in light of the serious economic situation generated by the pandemic, reduce costs. However the objectives, positioning, narrative, strategic areas and program of cultural activities remain unchanged. And we had obviously to make some adaptations, for example as regards the exhibition content and the circuit of visitors to our pavilion.
We know that there will be some launching events of private nature to mark the Portuguese presence at the Exhibition. Which are they?
This journey relied on the collaboration of several partners and the development of joint program opportunities. And I believe that’s the reason behind our participation, as generators of opportunity, despite the strong constraints, budget reduction and the huge difficulties in attracting support. I believe that in the current context, we really have to summon the best that our country has to offer, with emphasis on events by entities applying or already classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. I expect to be able to report the results of the work I have been developing in recent weeks.
On December 2, 2021, the most important day of this Expo will take place as the UAE will be celebrating 50 years as a country and projecting the next 50 years of this country. How will Portugal position itself on that day?
There are a great many countries in the world that have a common history with the countries of the Arab region and this is an important moment to bring culture and the identification of shared values closer. And Portugal is not an exception. In fact, since the first drafts of our program, the opportunity to stage cultural activities based on the Portuguese-Arab legacy and common cultural references was clear. A good example is the Alentejo Choral Singing, an essential reference of Portuguese culture and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, which is associated with the oldest songs, such as the Mozarabic. And it is exactly these attributes, quality, authenticity and, above all, the common legacy, that guarantee the necessary alignment of the Alentejo Choral Singing with the objectives of Portugal’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. And the moment this framework proved to be the most appropriate, and ambitious, was precisely the 2nd of December. I can confirm that the show by Celina da Piedade and Vozes do Cante, a tribute from Portugal to the host country, will be integrated into the program for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the unification of the United Arab Emirates. This is undoubtedly the action that best embodies the main objective of Portuguese participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. It will certainly be one of the most relevant moments of the program.
What are the amounts involved as regards Portugal’s investment in Expo Dubai?
Changing Expo 2020 Dubai dates added new complexities to the preparatory work for Portuguese participation considering that an additional 12 months were added to this mission. Despite this, and given the expected deterioration of the national economy, we made an effort to reduce the overall budget of Portuguese participation, which went from € 21.5 million to € 19.9 million.
Which audience does Portugal intend to address?
In parallel with the actions carried out by Portuguese diplomacy, our participation is an important contribution for diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations with this region. And to take advantage of the excellent bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the potential of Dubai as the largest business centre in the region and one of the most attractive in the world.
The UAE is Portugal’s main trading partner in the Middle East. This is one of the most important world destinations for MICE and shopping tourism, the 17th most competitive economy in the world, the 2nd largest in the Arab world (after Saudi Arabia) and the most open and diverse of the Gulf Cooperation Council (CCG). The country’s 9.2 million inhabitants (10% local) are mostly Muslims, is highly multicultural and with high purchasing power.
What would Portugal like to convey during and as a result of his participation in this world exhibition?
Precisely this capacity of Portugal to welcome, integrate, influence and be influenced by other cultures, being today a reinvented, multicultural country that is being discovered by the world.
This event is there to celebrate mankind and Expo 2020 Dubai thus represents a great stage for Portugal to share its history and culture, to promote tourism and heritage, to position itself in the circular economy, renewable energies and the blue economy, to ambition more with its scientific capacity, with its entrepreneurs, with the challenges in the seas and aerospace.
These world exhibitions are a representation of a world without walls or borders, with random neighbourhoods, in a kind of “creative babel”. In time and space, they create bonds and relationships, in a true connection of diversity. And in this context, the relationship between all participating countries will certainly be of great proximity and fraternity. The collaborative component with countries and organizations is highly relevant and an added organizational challenge.
I am sure that Portugal’s performance in this matrix approach will be crucial to assess the work of this mission and a reference as regards future participation.
Finally, what are Portugal’s goals at this Expo 2020 Dubai?
We cover a small exhibition area, but huge as regards cultural, gastronomic and landscape diversity. We are good hosts and we have the most exclusive product in the world: authenticity.
We have a huge capacity to preserve what is genuine, exclusive, sustainable and desired.
But what truly differentiates us and places us as an exceptional destination are the “people”, our “hospitality”, the way we “welcome” and make visitors feel at home.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the world’s first major meeting point, in a kind of rebirth of humanity. It will be six very intense with the world converging to Dubai later this year.
I believe this is an unmissable opportunity for Portugal in the international field, given that we have a much more open legacy and understanding of the world than most European countries the size of ours.
I hope our participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will be an incentive for the organization itself and an inspiration for other countries to work collaboratively. And I hope the Portuguese take pride in our work. I couldn’t expect anything less. Especially because one day we may welcome the world again in our home, just like we did, and very well, in 1998.
