Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1413221
3 NEWS 23.9.2021 European Parliament resolves to boycott delayed Dubai Expo 2020 Dubai World Expo: key facts • 192 countries are taking part, in the first such event to be held in the Middle East • The Expo is expected to boost Dubai's economy by $33bn (£24bn) and to create up to 300,000 jobs • The site covers 4.3sq km, or 613 football pitches, and the Expo will have its own metro station • Uber will be testing flying cars during the event • Some 90% of the materials used to in construction will then be used to create permanent buildings afterwards FROM PAGE 1 Its aim was to propose the main mar- ket solutions in a portfolio on the city of Dubai at the Expo. e Dubai Expo 2020, which was post- poned from last year due to the COV- ID-19 pandemic, will open its doors to the world on 1 October. 192 countries are participating. e Malta Pavilion is nearing completion, as it prepares to welcome dignitaries, businessmen and tourists from all over the world. In November, Environment and plan- ning minister Aaron Farrugia will be heading a high-level trade delgation that will be visiting the Malta Pavilion at Dubai Expo for contact building, net- working meetings, discussions and oth- er opportunities. Dalli was accompanied on her visit by Malta's Ambassador to the UAE Ma- ria Camilleri Calleja, Commissioner General of Malta for Expo 2020 Dubai Anthony Tabone and Deputy Commis- sioner General of Malta for Expo 2020 Dubai Antoinette Catania. While in Dubai, she met Omar Sheha- deh, International Participants Operation Chief Officer, Andre Dourado, Director International Participants, and John Ad- do-Obiri, Senior Country Manager. But while Dalli was being updated on the state of the Malta Pavilion, as well as engaging in meetings on decarbonisa- tion under her remit as energy minister, back in Brussels on ursday the Eu- ropean Parliament backed a resolution calling on member states not to partici- pate in the event and to suspend the sale and export of surveillance technology to the government in Abu Dhabi. e resolution referred to the UAE's ongoing detention of activist Ahmed Mansoor, incarcerated since 2011 and on the wider human rights abuse within the UAE. "ere is systematic persecu- tion of human rights defenders, jour- nalists, lawyers and teachers speaking up on political and human rights issues in the UAE." e resolution stressed that since 2011, Abu Dhabi had intensified its crackdown on freedom of association, assembly and expression. e European Parliament invited "the international companies sponsoring Expo 2020 Dubai to withdraw their sponsorship and encourages Member States not to participate in the event" in order "to signal their disapproval of the human rights violations in the UAE." But resolutions passed by the Europe- an Parliament are not binding on mem- ber states. And with a week to go to the official opening of the Expo, it is highly unlikely to find any traction with the many EU countries participating in the Expo. Es- pecially with the European Parliament having thus far heavily promoted and en- couraged participation by member states. When contacted by BusinessToday, a spokesperson for minister Dalli con- firmed that many EU countries are among the 192 participating in the Du- bai Expo. "All countries are at an advanced stage of final preparations and many contin- gents have already started arriving in Dubai," the spokesperson said. "Malta's participation in the Expo is an opportunity for the country to show what it can offer across different sec- tors, including tourism, its enterprises and its lifestyle." e Malta Pavilion will showcase Mal- ta and the opportunities that exist. e spokesperson explained that Mal- ta Enterprise is also in discussion with other countries, including Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Norway and Australia, amongst others, to organise joint events that will focus on networking and busi- ness opportunities. "As the lead entity in the organisation of this Expo, Malta Enterprise has been in contact with various stakeholders from the public and private sectors in preparation for this event." Next week, Malta Enterprise will also be organising a business breakfast for stakeholders to discuss the event fur- ther. e theme of the Malta Pavilion is Connecting Culture, Generating Op- portunities with the focus being on his- tory, culture, tourism, industry, innova- tion, technology and lifestyle. Malta's pavilion is situated in the Op- portunity District, close to the UAE pa- vilion. Spread over two floors, the pavil- ion will welcome the visitors into four zones: tourism, investment and trade, innovation and creativity and lifestyle. e second floor includes a conference room, a meeting room, a boardroom and break out areas. "is is an opportunity for our country to show to the world what we can offer. We want to use this platform to attract new opportunities for our country. is Expo is offering Malta an opportunity to showcase our unique identity and prop- ositions, to show the elements that we embrace: our history, our culture, our lifestyle, our work ethic and much more," Dalli said when she visited Malta's pavil- ion. "We look forward to being part of this world gathering that will inspire people and help create a better future." "is is an opportunity for our country to show to the world what we can offer. We want to use this platform to attract new opportunities for our country. is Expo is offering Malta an opportunity to showcase our unique identity and prop- ositions, to show the elements that we embrace: our history, our culture, our lifestyle, our work ethic and much more," Dalli said when she visited Malta's pavil- ion. "We look forward to being part of this world gathering that will inspire people and help create a better future." Since the programme for these six months is constantly evolv- ing, those interested in participat- ing in events being organised dur- ing Expo 2020 can send an email on maltapavilion-expo2020@maltaenter- prise.com UAE denial e United Arab Emirates rejected as "factually incorrect" the European Par- liament's resolution criticising its human rights record. "We reject the resolution adopted this week in the European Parliament con- cerning the United Arab Emirates," Saeed Al-Hebsi, Director of Human Rights at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and In- ternational Cooperation, said. "We strongly reject the allegations made in the text, which have been pre- viously addressed and dismissed as fac- tually incorrect. Moreover, the resolu- tion completely ignores all of the UAE's significant achievements in the human rights field," he added, state news agency WAM reported. "Every country has its own laws and legal institutions - the UAE Constitution and national legislation enshrines funda- mental rights which provide for the fair treatment of all citizens and residents." The Expo Held every five years over a six-month period, the Expo is the largest interna- tional event in terms of scale, duration and visitors' attendance. It is a global gathering of nations that will focus on specific themes linked to human development and highlights sci- entific, technological, economic, and so- cial progress. e Dubai Expo is aimed at 'Con- necting Minds and Creating the Future' through sustainability, mobility, and op- portunity. Malta has so far participated in three expos since the year 2000 and this will be the second time it will host its own pa- vilion, with a programme full of events spread over the whole six months. Whilst in Dubai, Dalli also met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Du- bai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Saeed Mohamed Ahma Al Tayer. ey discussed the path to decarbon- isation and the different ways in which the two countries can cooperate. Dalli reiterated Malta's position to reach decarbonisation by 2050 as they spoke about the latest technologies that are being rolled out and how the two countries can share expertise on differ- ent technologies. Malta delegation From 5 to 10 November, environment and planning minister Aaron Farrugia will be heading a trade delgation visiting the Malta Pavilion. He will be accompanied by parliamen- tary secretary for construction, Chris Agius. Farrugia too has just returned from the UAE where he had a number of high-lev- el meetings. He visited the Noor Solar Power Plant, the world's largest solar plant, where the use of such plants to make energy sus- tainable was discussed. In Sharjah, Farrugia signed a Memo- randum of Understanding with Abdullah al Nuaimi, UAE's environment minister on the climate change, the environment and urban planning. A general view of Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai