Pakistan’s pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai was inaugurated on Sunday, the commerce ministry said, as construction works on the site have been completed.
Expo 2020 was originally scheduled to open in October 2020 but had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It will start on Oct. 1, 2021 and run through March 31, 2022, expecting to see at least 25 million participants and visitors from all over the world.
In October 2018, Islamabad signed a participation contract with Expo 2020 authorities. Pakistan’s Expo 2020 pavilion was built with $14 million funding support from the United Arab Emirates in the Opportunity District of the exhibition area on 35,000 square feet.
The pavilion themed “Pakistan: The Hidden Treasure” was inaugurated by the Pakistani prime minister’s adviser on commerce and investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, Commerce Secretary Sualeh Farooqi, officials from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Pakistan’s consulate general in Dubai, as well as UAE government representatives.
“I would like to thank all the stakeholders who helped us in building this beautiful Pakistan Pavilion,” Dawood said, as Emirati officials handed over the pavilion to the Pakistani delegation.
“It will serve as the hub of business opportunities and promoting our 7,000 years old culture,” Dawood said, as the ministry expects Expo 2020 to give the Pakistani business community “access to networking with the international market and investors.”
