Set to take place from October 2020 until April 2021, the Dubai Expo 2020 will go down in history as the first expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.
For six months, Seychelles, our small Island nation will be represented through the participation of various national entities and NGOs to showcase the destination’s natural lush environment, opportunities for investment and its achievements towards Sustainability and Nature conservation.
Seychelles will therefore share a spot alongside the 192 participating countries from all over the globe. The Dubai 2020 Expo site, which will cover a total of 438 hectares, is located in the Dubai South district, near the Al Maktoum International Airport.
The country’s preparations to the international event is spearheaded by the collective effort of CINEA and the Seychelles Tourism Board.
Representatives of the two organizations are working alongside the Dubai Expo 2020 team and the Seychelles Country Manager, John Addo Obiri, to ensure that Seychelles’ participation carry every single visitor onto an imaginary journey that will touch their hearts.
Through the discoveries of the Seychelles pavilion, each visitor will get a feel of the Islands, as one will discover its various features through visual, audio and graphics presentations.
Seychelles will also be granted the tribute of celebrating its national day through an honor day, event during which, various high officials from the country will be invited to attend.
Aside from the official events, Seychelles will also be engaging the Expo Dubai 2020 visitors through conferences and workshops centered around culture, finance, environment and tourism.
Speaking about Seychelles preparations to the Expo, Mr. Galen Bresson CEO of CINEA, stated that the Dubai 2020 moto: “connecting minds and creating the future,” incorporates the mind-set of the organizing committee working effortlessly towards the success of this event for the country.
“Seychelles might be small in size, but we are placing ourselves on the global market next to many countries through our participation. The concept for this Expo reflect a lot of our country’s conservation philosophy. Our aim is to show the world that, in spite of our 250 years of existence, we have been able to maintain a good balance in co-existing with our natural environment,” said Mr. Bresson.
On her part, Mrs. Sherin Francis, STB Chief Executive, mentioned that the STB team is working in close collaboration with CINEA and the other government agencies and NGOs to make Seychelles’ participation a success.
“Seychelles’ participation in the Dubai 2020 Expo is an excellent platform for visibility for the country, not only as a tourism destination, but also as a nation. More than ever, we need to place ourselves on the map in showcasing our natural beauty, our culture and our various achievements in all aspects,” said STB’s Chief Executive.
The first world expo took place in 1851 in London and has since been a platform for countries to showcase their achievements and culture to the rest of the world. The Dubai 2020 Expo is expecting over 25,000,000 visits over the 173 days.
