Inayat-Ur-Rahman, Business Editor

Dubai will welcome visitors from every corner of the globe on Friday to March 31, 2022 to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to re-imagine tomorrow. With the purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 will be the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges.

Pakistan is, undoubtedly, one of Asia’s best kept secrets! home to one of the world’s earliest civilizations, a culture of boundless hospitality, riveting geographic wonders, and an upcoming investment destination of choice.

Pakistan’s Pavilion, located in the Opportunity District, will unearth the hidden opportunities that the country has to offer. The pavilion has an immersive and hybrid art installation inviting visitors to the land of colours. Through a walkthrough visitors will experience Pakistan; a country of every known landscape that boasts of unparalleled nature and adventure.

The 35000 sqft pavilion is divided into nine sections allowing visitors to rediscover Pakistan’s culture of hospitality, based on historical and religious traditions. The outer facade has been enhanced through thousands of coloured and unique Aluminum panels, that will give an impression of changing colours as visitors walk across them.  Through a visual display the pavilion will showcase tourism sites, trade and investment opportunities, music and crafts and its culinary varieties. Pavilion also includes a café named ‘dhabba’, and a gift shop that will further enhance the experience of visitors.

In addition to the walk through experience inside the Pakistan Pavilion, several events are being planned outside the pavilion at various EXPO sites. These events will be related to the nine thematic weeks proposed by the EXPO authorities. The events will focus on several areas including Tourism, Climate change, Investment opportunities in Pakistan, Culture/music, sports and special occasions. Pakistan will also contribute to the events organized by EXPO authorities. Moreover, several seminars/ talks by speakers from Pakistan have also been planned to project the achievements of Pakistan at this global show.

“Pakistan - The Hidden Treasure” Expo 2020 Campaign was launched on  Pakistan’s Independence Day in Dubai last month with impressive dance performances and Pakistan flag unveiling on Burj Khalifa.

While the crowd gathered at the Dubai Fountain area of Burj Khalifa in the evening to see Pakistan’s flag on the world’s tallest building, and after the national anthem, they were surprised to witness contemporary cultural performances with high energy moves and dances on a national song “Hum Aik Hain” (We are One) giving a quick peek into Pakistan’s participation in Expo2020 Dubai.

The performance was also a dedication to Expo 2020 Dubai’s vision of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. It carried well-integrated messages as the nation plans to showcase its vast opportunities in tourism, commerce & investment to the global audiences during the six-month-long mega expo.

 The Pakistan Pavilion is designed to leave a lasting impact on the visitors by inspiring them through a poetic narrative on the past, present and future revealing its rich history, culture and traditions, as well as the potential and possibilities for the future.

 The audience at the Burj Khalifa were enthralled with the impressive campaign launch by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, designed by AGi Architects, Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion was conceived as a large plaza to reflect its aim of providing a platform for social and cross-cultural engagement. Floating 32 metres above the ground, the pavilion’s canopy represents clouds, which are in constant transformation, and the dreams that we all aspire to achieve, while a terracotta ‘carpet’ covers the ground and the pavilion’s facade, representing Earth and inviting visitors to share their experiences. The pavilion’s exhibition has been designed by ALEC Fit Out and ICARIA Atelier.

Standing alongside Expo 2020’s two other subthemes, Mobility and Sustainability, the Opportunity subtheme aims to examine how the potential of communities and individuals can be unlocked to help shape the future and create an equal playing field for everyone.

One of the first global mega-events to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 runs from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, inviting visitors from around the world to join the making of a new world and experience a six-month journey of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.

Expo 2020 will be the biggest cultural gathering in the world, presenting a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever.

Expo 2020’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone.

For six months, Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to age 18

Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts

Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South .

Built with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site will transform into District 2020 – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future – after Expo 2020 closes its doors.

In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress.