Sweden will promote its innovative spirit and knowledge-driven society to a global audience of millions at Expo 2020 Dubai, after confirming its participation at the next World Expo.
Anders Lönnberg, Commissioner General of the Committee for Sweden’s Participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, and Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, signed the participation contract at the Expo 2020 site.
Sweden’s government has already formally allocated funds for the country’s participation, which will be jointly funded with the nation’s business community.
Expo 2020 offers Sweden the opportunity to strengthen its versatile image abroad and market itself as a knowledge-driven society supported by sustainable development. It will also enable Sweden, ranked Europe’s most innovative nation in Bloomberg’s 2018 Innovation Index, to showcase its focus on innovation and technology in addressing climate and environmental issues, while contributing to improved opportunities for Swedish businesses in the UAE and wider region.
Expo 2020’s Al-Ali said, “We are delighted to confirm Sweden’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Sweden has an enviable global reputation for its record, over many decades, in the fields of innovation and sustainability, which are integral to our World Expo. Our family of international participants is ever expanding and we are excited that a nation with Sweden’s expertise and design flair will be joining us on this journey.”
Expo 2020 Dubai offers Sweden an opportunity to showcase its focus on sustainability and innovation, while opening up new potential business opportunities in the UAE and across the region.
“It will also provide us with the chance to work with other countries from around the world to address key global challenges and promote our core Swedish values, which include equality, openness and collaboration,” said Lönnberg.
Sweden and the UAE share strong relations, with bilateral trade between the countries amounting to $820 million in 2017. More than 4,000 Swedish expatriates currently live in the UAE, and more than 200 Swedish companies are directly or indirectly represented in the country.
From 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021, Expo 2020 expects to record 25 million visits. About 70 percent of visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
