US unveils Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion
Print Edition
The United States showed off a literally star-studded pavilion yesterday for Dubai鈥檚 upcoming Expo 2020, complete with a replica SpaceX rocket body beside it.
Two fog machines swirled smoke around the replica, trying to lend the impression it just landed at the still under-construction Expo site in Dubai鈥檚 southern desert. But what will be a major draw at this world鈥檚 fair remains in question as the world struggles through the coronavirus pandemic and global air travel, a key industry for Dubai, struggles to take off.
Dubai鈥檚 Expo 2020, or world鈥檚 fair, represents a US$7 billion bet by this sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates that the event will boost tourism and business interest. The pandemic forced organizers to delay the start of the event by a year to October 1, 2021 鈥 putting even more pressure on the expo to turn around Dubai鈥檚 economy, which was struggling even before the virus.
That extra time came in handy for countries participating in the event, particularly the US. America struggled to come up with funding for its pavilion and ended up relying on what it called 鈥渢he generosity of the Emirati government鈥 to cover its estimated US$60-million cost. The pavilion鈥檚 exterior appeared finished yesterday, but its interior remained a worksite.
John Rakolta, the US ambassador to the UAE, made a point to repeatedly praise the Emirati government for its donation, without offering a figure for the final cost. Asked if that Emirati donation would influence what the US displayed, Rakolta called the UAE 鈥渙pen鈥 and 鈥渋nclusive.鈥
鈥淭hey鈥檝e encouraged us to reach for the stars,鈥 he said.
The 3,344-square-meter pavilion will include a 鈥24-minute experience鈥 of America with moon rocks, a Mars rover and Thomas Jefferson鈥檚 Quran, Rakolta said.
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