ABU DHABI // National Day celebrations came early for about 100 Gems Education pupils who took part in a ceremonial event for World Expo 2020 on Tuesday.
Another 20 pupils from Al Khaleej National School were flown to Milan Expo 2015 earlier this week to visit the Etihad Airways Alitalia UAE Pavilion, and join the World Expo’s tradition of celebrating each participating country’s national day and exchanging official host status.
The National Media Council marked the occasion by organising a flag-raising ceremony, attended by government officials from the UAE, the UAE Embassy in Italy and members of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, in addition to visitors from around the world.
Reem Al Awadhi, who is in Grade 11, and who was among the pupils between the ages of 14 and 17 selected to visit the UAE pavilion at Milan Expo, said she was proud to represent her country abroad.
“It is important to be a part of Milan Expo for it will act as the beginning of a long lasting journey that will lead to the UAE’s expo in 2020,” Reem said. “Being an Emirati woman in a country abroad representing my nation, and my family, not only encourages other Emirati women to do the same, but also endorses the ideologies regarding women fulfilling jobs that require a great deal of energy and power in society.”
Abdulla Ali said the UAE pavilion gave him a glimpse of the future.
“This opportunity was a wake-up call reminding me that the future is around the corner, and it does not wait for anyone,” said the American-Palestinian who is in Grade 12 at Al Khaleej National School. He said touring the pavilions was “like a portal to knowledge”.
The country’s participation in the Milan Expo had been a great success, said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the NMC.
“The UAE has been dedicated to participating in recent World Expos and to feature the impressive development our country has accomplished in just four decades.
“The Expo has also allowed the UAE to connect with a global audience and share our rich history, hospitable culture, and hardworking society.”
Back at the Etihad Airways Training Academy in Abu Dhabi, pupils from four Gems schools met Etihad and Masdar executives who spoke about their respective companies’ sustainability initiatives and the anticipated role Expo 2020 would play in building jobs and attracting visitors to the UAE.
“We are delighted to celebrate the momentous occasion of the UAE National Day at Milan Expo with young students from Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” said Hareb Al Muhairi, senior vice president, corporate and international affairs at Etihad Airways.
“Young people are the nation’s hope for tomorrow and the catalysts for real progress and innovation.”
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Clarification: The organisers of Expo 2020 wish to clarify that the event held on Tuesday was not a handover from the Milan exhibition to Dubai, but the beginning of a five-year countdown to Expo 2020.
