Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on Friday attended the UAE Day celebrations at Expo 2025 Osaka.
The festivities began with a parade featuring traditional Emirati music and dancers that headed towards the main Expo Hall, while there were also cultural performances.
Sheikh Khaled was shown UAE Day cultural activities put together by 17 organisations, including the UAE Space Agency and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation. There were traditional handicraft workshops, cultural and artistic performances, and discussions highlighting sustainable development and technological innovation in the UAE.
Sheikh Khaled later toured the striking UAE pavilion, featuring soaring columns made out of more than two million palm fronds.
The pavilion– which pays homage to the country's rich history and enterprising vision for the future – has proven a hit with international crowds since the latest world's fair opened on April 13.
The UAE Day programme also featured events focused on diplomacy that aimed at strengthening co-operation between the UAE and Japan. Education, culture and sustainability were in the spotlight on those events.
Sheikh Khaled met young Emiratis who played a key role in the country’s participation at Expo 2025, praising their contributions and emphasising the importance of empowering young people to represent the nation abroad.
Sharing the UAE's story
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visited the UAE's pavilion during a tour of Expo 2025 in April.
"I was impressed by the design of our national pavilion, inspired by the palm tree, which reimagines the traditional Arish – the old homes built from palm fronds and trunks," Sheikh Mohammed said at the time. "However, the content of the UAE Arish showcases our space projects, future initiatives in the health sector and our progress in sustainability projects. Our pavilion embodies our commitment to our authentic past and our passion for the future."
Expo 2025 opened in the Japanese city on April 13 and runs until October 13. It provides a global platform for more than 150 countries to show off their heritage, achievements and plans for the future.
The six-month event follows the successful Expo 2020 Dubai, the first world’s fair to be held in the Middle East and North Africa, which recorded more than 24 million visits in six months.
Expo 2025 Osaka recorded five million visits in its first six weeks, putting it on track to hit its 28 million target.
