Germany sealed its AED226mn investment in the next World Expo by signing an official participation contract for Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dietmar Schmitz, Commissioner General of the German Pavilion, and Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, executive director, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, signed the contract in a short ceremony in Dubai.
Germany, which is the fourth largest economy in the world (by nominal GDP), has long been a global advocate of sustainability and renewable energy, and its national pavilion will fittingly be located in the Sustainability District at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The Western European nation has announced that it will invest AED226mn in its Expo 2020 Dubai participation, and is set to have one of the largest pavilions at Expo, measuring 4,500sqm in size.
Germany aims to raise its reliance on renewable electricity production from 17% to more than 80% by 2050. This focus on renewable energy is shared by the UAE, which has set its own target of 44% of its energy coming from clean sources by 2050.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said: The UAE and Germany share a vision of a cleaner, more sustainable future something that is a key focus of Expo 2020 Dubai and we are delighted that our close friends have become the latest nation to sign an official participation contract. Germany has long set a strong example to the rest of the world of the need to remember that our planets resources are finite and need to be cherished and preserved. Their involvement in Expo 2020 is not only a reflection of the close ties our two countries enjoy, but also of the importance that the international community places on World Expos as a platform to advance human progress.
Dietmar Schmitz said: Even in our digital age, it is still human nature to want to meet other people in person, face to face, and to experience things ourselves in order to form our own opinions. Expo 2020 will bring countries and organisations together to discuss the most pressing issues facing our world and to consider solutions together, with the joint aim of pointing the way forward.
Germany is no stranger to Expos, having hosted a World Expo Expo 2000 in Hannover under the theme of Man, Nature, Technology, and two specialised Expos in 1957 in Berlin and 1965 in Munich.
Two German multinational companies are also playing a vital role in Expo 2020 Dubai. SAP is Expos Official Innovative Enterprise Software Partner and Siemens is Official Intelligent Infrastructure and Operations Partner, and both will contribute to the delivery of the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.