Sustainability is a key area and a focal point For Dubai 2020 World Expo. With this strong message, Expo 2020 promises a commitment that is inspiring to all generations. However, this pledge did not come out of the blue. The UAE has been working towards this goal for a long time, recognizing that this is a necessary investment for the benefit of present and future generations.

The biggest testimony for this, is the innovations that TAQA and Masdar, two institute that the Emirates are proud of, have been working on in the field of sustainable clean energy, and the global role they are playing to encourage the creation of the latest technologies within and outside the UAE.

My presence in the Netherlands as an Ambassador for the UAE has given me an insight into the pioneering efforts of the Netherlands in this area. Since the Netherlands signed the Paris Agreement to reduce CO2 emissions, it has been investing in technology to achieve its goals through new innovations and policies that seek to increase sustainability, through concerted efforts in the fields of transport, energy and various industries.

Visitors will be able to see this through the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020, a smart building with sustainable solutions. Water, energy and food will be produced through innovations including a conical vertical farm. The building will also be constructed using local materials that will be recycled after Expo to reduce the environmental footprint, and the weather will be controlled in a natural way.

It is not surprising that The Emirates, a creative innovative country, provides an important global platform such as Expo 2020 to countries like the Netherlands to revolutionize the way we conduct our basic daily lives on a vital issue that concerns everyone: sustainability, contributing to raising awareness within an international gathering to a cross-generational issue with a deep lasting impact on all.

Her Excellency Dr. Hessa Abdullah Al Otaiba 

UAE Ambassador to Netherlands

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation