Expo 2020 Dubai is the time to immerse, reflect
A call to action, the event will make us re-evaluate significance of small acts
The announcement of the UAE as the Expo 2020 Dubai destination eight years ago gave a glimpse of what was to unfold in the country. Amid a sea of emotions, I was reminded of what we stand for. As driven, responsible individuals and citizens of this nation and the world, our ethos came to the fore. Tomorrow, we will witness this edifice in all its glory.
Expo is the challenge as well as the opportunity to reimagine, rewrite, and reshape, the present and future paradigms in the way we work, learn, educate and ultimately live. It will bring us face-to-face with inevitable questions of the legacy we leave behind. More importantly, what world we leave behind for the next generation.
With the presence of 191 countries, each with their pavilions representing pieces of home, a spectacle is about to unfold. It will solidify one of our fundamental values, human connection. We have a platform to celebrate our shared commonalities and embrace our distinct differences, especially in the math of over a year in isolation. It couldn’t have come at a better time as we transcend geographical boundaries and shed limitations of possibilities, instilling a mutual sentiment of being one in braving crises and overcoming them.
Catalyst of sustainability
Now, more than ever, we are ushered to think of ourselves in connection with our planet and fellow human beings. It will be a place to witness how human connection can be formed, morphed, and put to action in different ways toward a shared goal, a better future for all.
Being a catalyst of sustainability, Expo 2020 Dubai embodies the spirit of leading by example. And it starts right here in our backyard. The vibrance of the show will determine how much we define our relationship with nature. We will be reminded that it is our calling to do our part. We will learn to nurture ourselves and our communities to be environmentally conscious and responsible global citizens.
Expo 2020 will make us re-evaluate the significance of small acts that eventually snowball into larger, profound ones. For instance, as Emiratis, reflecting on our consumption habits, such as water, electricity, and transportation consumption is the first step toward more mindful and sustainable choices.
Expo 2020s legacy will continue to manifest itself via sustainable initiatives that aim to be a haven for start-ups within a bursting creative and productive ecosystem. It will further revolutionise the nature of future businesses in the UAE to be inclusive and symbiotic.
Inclusive and symbiotic
The UAE Green Agenda 2030 and Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s visionary economic plans are the backbones of the country’s journey to a diversified, knowledge-based economy. They collectively define the nature of its land, acknowledging that the life of excess is coming to an end, and the time for change is now.
The eco-friendly business scene in the UAE is soaring in parallel with the country’s directions. The focus has shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi-based sustainable and eco-friendly start-ups and small businesses. Recapp, the UAE’s first recycling smart application, The Giving Movement, the sought-after sustainable activewear, and Back to Nature, the single-use biodegradable food packaging, are building models to be followed in deriving profit while being socially and environmentally engaged.
Expo 2020s legacy will continue to manifest itself via sustainable initiatives that aim to be a haven for start-ups within a bursting creative and productive ecosystem. It will further revolutionise the nature of future businesses in the UAE to be inclusive and symbiotic.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be a stepping stone toward a sustainable future built by us. Thus, to my fellow young Emiratis and youth of the UAE, Expo 2020 will bring an array of pathbreaking knowledge and a glimpse of the future. This once-in-a-generation opportunity should be fully seized with an open mind for us to immerse ourselves, learn, experience, and absorb it all.