The Tribune

By Azaleta Ishmael-Newry

THE Bahamas Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai has made a resounding impact, gaining the attention of the world and the government of the United Arab Emirates recently at the second International Participants Meeting.

According to Expo 2020 Dubai organizers, the work to date on the Bahamas Pavilion and involvement of the University of the Bahamas (UB) students has become a benchmark for success.

More than 500 delegates, representing 150 countries, attended the three-day International Participants Meeting (IPM) to discuss and be brought up to date on the progress of Expo 2020 Dubai, slated to be the largest World Fair ever. In attendance were commissioners general, ambassadors, business leaders, as well as government officials and partners like the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

The Bahamas led the way in meeting the criteria of Expo 2020 Dubai’s vision to utilize and include young adults in the challenge of solving issues affecting their country, and creating solutions relative to the Expo’s sub themes: “mobility, sustainability and opportunity”. Dubai quickly recognized that The Bahamas had tremendous institutional capacity to carry out the programme, perceived from earlier virtual meetings with the University of the Bahamas (UB) team which links to Expo 2020 Dubai’s Creative Youth Initiative.

The Bahamas enjoyed the distinction of being the only participating country to share their story on the world’s stage. UB students Kacey Duncombe, architecture, and Marcella Evans, culinary arts, represented their country well in the formal presentation. They shared the story of how Expo 2020 allows one to “dream big and make the impossible, possible”.

“The sheer size and complexity of the (Pavilion) design took my breath away,” said Hind Al Boom, associate manager, Expo 2020.

“Not only was the strategic design of the Pavilion built around the objectives of The Bahamas Government, the students took elements that were in their Government’s agenda, like sustainability and ran with it.

“The Bahamas Pavilion encapsulates a story that you can imagine walking through, it’s cohesive and made sense - it’s playful and the students understood the concept… they got it!”

The Bahamas has an incomparable edge under the leadership of Tony Joudi, non-resident Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the State of Qatar for The Bahamas, who plays an integral part in the process, drawing on his strong diplomatic ties with the UAE.

His Excellency led a delegation of 17 individuals representing a multi-disciplinary team that included Project Manager, Michael Diggiss, University of The Bahamas professors: Valaria Flax, Architecture, Michael Edwards, the Visual Arts, Eldred Saunders and Donna Williams, Culinary Arts, Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett, former Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts, and their students, together with representatives Janet Johnson, Director, and Bridgette Rahming of Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Business Development Department, and Azaleta Ishmael-Newry, public relations and media consultant.

Organizers feel that what started as a collaboration between the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of the Bahamas is transforming into robust public private partnership opportunities.

Participation in the recent Expo 2020 Dubai’s International Participants Meeting was made possible by financial support from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Aliv /Cable Cares Foundation and Super Value.

It is anticipated that the Bahamas Expo 2020 team will require a deeper engagement in Dubai, with local sponsorship critical to advancing this national initiative.

Expo 2020 Dubai is a global platform that will create short, medium and long-range business and exchange opportunities. Participating countries will be exposed to approximately 25 million visitors during a sixth-month period, starting October 20, 2020.