Mohammed bin Rashid attends first session to discuss logo of World Expo 2020

Dubai: Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, attended the first session of the seminar to discuss the logo of World Expo 2020 under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", which was launched yesterday at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. Present at the seminar were H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group and President of the Supreme National Committee for Expo 2020, a number of senior officials, experts, and representatives of approximately 167 member states of the International Exhibitions Bureau, based in Paris, which is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing the process of selecting the host countries for International Expos. Before the session, Sheikh Mohammed met with 250 representatives and international experts participating in the three day seminar, individually welcoming and greeting them, and wishing them success in their discussions for the logo of Expo 2020, in the event of winning the bid to host this renowned international event. Sheikh Mohammed also wished for a pleasant stay in the UAE for all the guests, who represent 167 countries, and hoped that they would absorb the historical and contemporary landmarks of Dubai's heritage, as well as the culture of Emirati people. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, was the first speaker in the session, which was also attended by Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Co-operation, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State and Managing Director of the Supreme National Committee for Expo 2020, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of Dubai Ruler's Court, members of the Higher National Committee for Dubai Expo 2020 and a number of senior officials, along with a number of heads of diplomatic and consular missions in the country. Sheikh Nahyan affirmed that Sheikh Mohammed has qualified and knowledgeable teams of long experience in various fields, led by His Highness with all wisdom and efficiency, and these teams can implement his vision for the UAE's future in order to be number one globally. Addressing the Bureau members, Sheikh Nahyan said: "Dubai and the entire UAE will be ready for that visit. In a sense, we have prepared for it since our founding in 1971. We have capitalised on our natural resources and our desire to be a global force for prosperity and peace. We have sought the advice and assistance of skilled people from around the world and have formed lasting international partnerships. We have built a country that plays a prominent role in regional and international affairs - a country where people from close to 200 other nations work and live in peace and harmony. Together we have transformed our landscape and provided a safe and stable environment that nurtures imaginative innovation. We have strong institutions that make continued prosperity and growth possible. We have connected minds and created our future. As our expo bid will coincide with the Golden Jubilee of our nation, it will surely be an extraordinary event. The atmosphere in the UAE will pulsate with energy and fuel an unforgettable Expo." As many of you know, he went on, I grew up in Abu Dhabi, Dubai's neighbouring emirate. The capital city of Abu Dhabi has emerged as a remarkable global city that will naturally attract and welcome many of the visitors to Dubai Expo 2020. But everyone in Abu Dhabi and our other emirates knows that Dubai is our city best suited for the Expo. Dubai has always exuded energy, confidence, imagination, adventurous daring, and breath-taking enterprise. Our President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, knows that Dubai can achieve all the goals it sets for itself. He relies on the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, as his Vice President and Prime Minister. They form a powerful team that is concentrating on our country's role in global development and the vital importance of Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity. "Our country is a land of Opportunity. The United Arab Emirates attracts and motivates entrepreneurs. Dubai's entrepreneurial spirit will inspire visitors to Dubai Expo 2020. They will see new opportunities for themselves and resolve to seize them. We have, for example, firmly grasped the opportunity to educate our young men and women. The founder of our nation, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, declared that a prosperous future depended on our ability, and I quote, "to build our country with education and knowledge and nurture generations of educated men and women." His wisdom has guided us. Your hosts on the ground at the Expo will be university graduates who have connected with other minds in the classroom, through the internet, and within the international population of Dubai. Some of those future hosts are in the auditorium today. They possess a global viewpoint and are fluent in both Arabic and English at the very least. They represent our vision of the future." Sheikh Nahyan pointed out that as the observes Energy Day today, in Dubai and the UAE every day is energy day. "Despite the fact that we are a major oil and gas producer, we have diversified our economy and hold sustainability as the core of our strategic vision and policies. We intend to demonstrate to the rest of the world sure ways for gaining energy and resource efficiency. Many of you will visit Masdar City later today and will witness an unprecedented carbon-neutral urban complex being developed on six square kilometres in Abu Dhabi. It will house hundreds of companies and a research institute, in addition to 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters. The International Renewable Energy Agency known as IRENA is establishing its permanent headquarters in Masdar City. Through our active engagement with IRENA, our country is closely linked to the international research and development activities that promise to create the new energy technologies that our planet needs. The pavilions and facilities at Dubai World Central, the site for Dubai Expo 2020, will draw on our dedication to sustainability so that at least half of the required energy will come from renewable sources. We understand that our future depends on sustainability." We depend also on Mobility to connect minds and create a bright future. Dubai exemplifies the value of mobility. Incomparable airports and seaports enable easy access to the city. Well-engineered roads and highways allow Dubai's automobiles, taxis, and buses to navigate swiftly and efficiently. An unparalleled metro system provides comfortable transportation throughout the city. The most advanced information and communication technologies ensure that our personal movement breaks no connections and even encourages more, he said. Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE women enjoy one of the world's highest rates of attending colleges and universities. They participate in public life without any hindrance. They move freely within the workplace and occupy positions of leadership and influence. "We encourage mobility at every possible turn. In ancient times, our horses and camels were not only used for mobility, but they represented perseverance, determination and excellence. Until today, we love our horses, which, as Sheikh Mohammed knows, are among the best in the world. Our camels too are also cherished. We long ago began our journey into the future on camels and still treasure them dearly today. But Dubai today hurls into the future at a Mach speed. Dubai is the dynamic hub of a vast, vibrant, and ever accelerating global market that serves over two billion people across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond. We have experienced remarkable change. It may well be our cultural values of hospitality, courtesy, respect, and understanding that ultimately persuade you to support Dubai Expo 2020. Certainly those values will characterise our conduct of that great event just as they have guided our relationship with our international population, constituted as it is by thousands and tens of thousands of people from the very countries whose citizens will visit Dubai Expo 2020." Highlighting UAE's respect for all people, Sheikh Nahyan said: "Many of you know that Muslims are commanded to respect people of other beliefs. In the Holy Qur'an, God tells all human beings: "O people! We have created you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." Mutual understanding and respect for people of various faiths and ethnicities have enabled Dubai to become a destination desired by residents and visitors from all over the world. Accommodations are splendid and plentiful. Restaurants are wonderfully diversified, and the cuisine is as delicious as you can taste anywhere." He noted that Dubai's attitude cannot be beaten. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you want an incomparable EXPO - if you want an EXPO that provides living experiences that blend the many diverse elements of the global society - if you want an Expo that expresses the state and aspirations of the world, you have come to the right city - for Dubai is a city dedicated to human progress - a city whose success is based on the innovation and creative energy of its people - a city that values the educational power of Dubai Expo 2020 - a city whose leader is a man of wisdom and vision - and a city that has always been a crossroads for people, ideas, and commerce, and has always welcomed travellers and visitors with unconditional hospitality. Today we offer that hospitality to the world." – Emirates New Agency, WAM