Saudi Arabia will set up a huge pavilion at Expo 2020 to promote its drive to attract tourists and businesses to the kingdom.
The area devoted to the country will be one of the largest at the world fair next year, second only to the UAE pavilion, and will seek to project an image of a modern and welcoming country.
The first images of the distinctive building unveiled on Sunday show a rectangular, reflective structure that will stand at an angle and will be the size of two football fields.
Saudi Arabia, one of the UAE's closest allies, is among 190 countries that have confirmed their participation in Expo 2020, which begins in October next year and will run for almost six months. It is estimated that 25 million visitors will attend.
“This extraordinary and innovative design perfectly captures the determination of the kingdom to fulfil its promise of being an ambitious nation, while conveying a message of dynamism and partnership with the world,” said Mohammed Al Tuwaijri, a Saudi Economy Minister responsible for the country's Expo participation.
“All Saudis can be proud of the vision that this ground-breaking pavilion will deliver to the world, and we look forward to inviting global citizens to share in the exciting story of our thriving and vibrant society.”
Those visiting the Saudi pavilion can expect an “immersive experience of the kingdom’s transformation”, organisers said, focusing on its history and traditions as well as its future. Construction for the structure began in February.
Exhibitions will present Saudi Arabia's "desire to build links and collaborate with countries to create a better future for everyone".
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Take a look: The world's Expo 2020 pavilions revealed so far
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The US Pavilion at the Expo 2020 site. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: V8 Architects -
The Luxembourg pavilion, under construction at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Courtesy: Luxembourg pavilion at Expo 2020 -
France's Expo pavilion. Courtesy: France Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Swiss pavilion for Expo 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Australian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: Australian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Irish pavilion located in the Mobility District, near Jubilee Park. Courtesy: Embassy of Ireland -
The Austrian Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Bahrain Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
Belarus's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Belgium Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Czech Republic Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
Finland's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
France's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The German Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Italian Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
Japan's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Monaco Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Netherlands' Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The New Zealand pavilion for Expo 2020. -
Norway's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Omani Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
Poland's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Saudi Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Spanish Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The South Korea Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Sweden Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
The Swiss Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
Thailand's Expo 2020 Pavilion. -
An artist's impression of the UAE pavilion. -
The UK pavilion at Expo 2020. -
Ukraine's Expo 2020 Pavilion.
