Switzerland is already… an undisputed star at Expo 2020 Dubai

Inspired by the motto “Uniting minds, creating the future,” the Swiss pavilion is judged to be the most Instagram-friendly by the Emirati press

On Friday, October 1, 2021, the Dubai World Expo still tagged 2020 following a one-year postponement due to the Coronavirus pandemic, opened its doors.
Switzerland is present with its own pavilion, which offers the public an exciting experience and presents the Alpine country in all its diversity: from the beauty of the mountains to the Confederation as a hub of innovation.
Working with partners from business, science, and politics, the pavilion will serve for six months as a platform to further deepen relations with the United Arab Emirates, the most important trading partner in the Middle East, and to promote Switzerland’s economic viability and tourism appeal in the region.
From October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, the first World Expo organized in an Arab country will be held. Switzerland was the first country, out of a total of 192, to confirm its participation.
A total of 25 million people are expected to attend the Expo in Dubai under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, 70 percent of them from abroad.

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700 square meters of red carpet and an all-round experience

The Swiss Pavilion, which is the responsibility of “Presence Switzerland” within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), offers visitors an exciting encounter with Switzerland. From the outside, the structure attracts attention with its funnel-shaped, mirrored facade and the 700-square-meter red carpet on which visitors are welcomed.
Inside the pavilion, the highlight is an artistic interpretation of an Alpine panorama, which suddenly emerges from a sea of fog and shows tourist destinations selected in collaboration with Switzerland Tourism, allowing visitors to enjoy a unique experience in nature.
Next comes the Switzerland of innovations. The company Schindler, which is the main partner, has its own exhibition space that allows the public to experience verticality and focuses on the development and use of new technologies for the mobility of the future as well as for a better quality of life in cities.
The second part of the pavilion shines a spotlight on Switzerland as a hub of innovation, presenting various projects and products created by universities, startups and innovative companies in our country.

“More science in diplomacy, more diplomacy in science.”

Sustainability of development with research, science and modernization

In collaboration with the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), a diversified program with events dedicated to specific themes, round tables, exhibitions, interactive workshops and networking events will be organized within the framework of a temporary participation of the swissnex network.
In this way, swissnex promotes new contacts between ERI (education, research and innovation) players from Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East in general, thus contributing to the sustainable internationalization and global competitiveness of Switzerland as an ERI hub.
The Swiss Pavilion also illustrates the Central European country’s commitment to a sustainable future under the Expo theme of “Uniting Minds, Creating the Future.”
It does so, for example, through the “Blue Peace” exhibition by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which focuses on Switzerland’s efforts in the field of water diplomacy and the sustainable management of the world’s water resources.

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Showcase for Bern government and improve relationships

“Participation is a unique opportunity to raise awareness of Switzerland and its strengths in the region. In the local media, our pavilion has already been chosen as one of the ‘most Instagrammable’, and that is exactly what we are looking for: visibility and glamour for our export industry as well as the education, research and innovation sector,” says Ambassador Nicolas Bideau, head of Presence Switzerland.
Based on a public-private partnership model, the exhibition is complemented by the presence of private sector partners and their products and services.
In addition to the three main partners Rolex, Schindler and Switzerland Tourism, Clariant, Novartis, Nestlé, Roche, KGS as well as numerous Swiss suppliers will participate. Sprüngli will be present with its own store and café.
The Swiss Pavilion is therefore an important showcase to further deepen relations with Switzerland’s main trading partner in the Middle East and to promote Switzerland’s economic efficiency and tourism attractiveness in the region.

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The two CF Guy Parmelin and Ueli Maurer are expected on October 29

For the Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi and the Swiss Government, the World Expo will also be an opportunity to pay tribute to diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates. The President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, will be the first to visit Dubai on October 29 on the occasion of the Swiss “National Day”.
Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer will also visit the pavilion together with representatives of the financial sector as part of the campaign to promote the Swiss financial centre.
The total cost of Switzerland’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai is CHF 16.5 million.

More than half a billion francs in aid to Syria since 2011