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France, which gave the world one of the most enduring symbols of World Expos – the Eiffel Tower – has confirmed its commitment to Expo 2020 Dubai, joining a growing number of nations who have publicly announced their participation.
The UAE and France share a history of strong bilateral ties.
These close links were further strengthened today when Expo 2020 Dubai announced that France has officially confirmed its official participation in a letter from French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve addressed to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This gave official confirmation to a previous indication from France that it would take part in Expo 2020.
The letter was delivered to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee by Pascal Lamy, French delegate to the 2025 World Expo.
Sheikh Ahmed said: “France, of course, has staged several Expos, including in 1889 when Gustave Eiffel’s famous tower was unveiled to the world. That lasting mark on humankind is a hallmark of World Expos and we are working hard here in the UAE to ensure that our first to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region can be similarly impactful.”
Expo 2020 Dubai will be a festival for all, where everyone can learn, innovate, create progress and have fun by sharing ideas and working together.
Through its main theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, the event will provide a platform to encourage creativity, innovation and collaboration. This is underpinned by three interlinked subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
Known as a hotbed of creativity, France remains a leading country in global innovation, with 10 French entities ranked in the Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Innovators.
The Expo is particularly close to the heart of the French people as the country’s capital, Paris, is home to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating all international exhibitions. France has also bid to host the World Expo in 2025.
Pascal Lamy said: “France is proud to have presented its candidature to the World Expo 2025 and has already made important steps to build a strong and coherent project, showing its will to revive its historical ties with the tradition of the World Expos.
“In that perspective, working closely with the inspiring project of Expo 2020 Dubai will definitely help France succeeding in building and promoting its 2025 World Expo project.
“The chosen theme for the French World Expo 2025 is ‘Knowledge to share, planet to care’, which will enable all the participants to show the state of their progresses in some fields of high interest for the youngest generations of the world, to the benefit of all.
“The candidature has already received wide support from the French population, from the French private sector and public authorities, and already attracts a lot of interest from many quarters around the world.
“In the context of the French candidature, I am convinced that many French people will be furthermore interested by coming to the UAE to visit Expo 2020 Dubai and extend their stay to enjoy the richness of the country.”
France and the UAE have worked on several large projects in recent years, including the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi, reflecting both countries’ focus on the importance of education and culture for our youth.
The UAE is also home to an estimated 35,000 French nationals and more than 700 subsidiaries of French companies.
Bilateral trade between France and the UAE reached USD 5 billion in 2016 and the UAE is France’s second-largest export destination in the Gulf, with exports mainly comprising food, aeronautics, consumer luxury goods, and electrical and mechanical equipment.
More than 265,000 French tourists visited the UAE last year and there is a wide variety of direct flights available between the UAE and a number of French cities, including Paris and Lyon.
In May 2013, France opened a new embassy in Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi.
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