May 2025 be a better year for all. May peace prevail and hope shine. May people with love and kindness triumph, and win over the cruel and the power-hungry. May God create, in us all, a desire to do good to others, regardless of nation, religion, race and creed. Heal our hearts so that we can forgive and can love those who are different from us. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Dubai Expo 2020 – With the pavilions of Turkmenistan and Russia in view
The world used to be a much more peaceful place. Not too long ago. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, all seemed good, and it looked like nations were learning how to get along better, despite some wars, oppression, and discrimination (which have always plagued humankind since we came into being). All of that seemed to have crumbled in the last 2 years, with the Ukraine and Gaza wars, dragging nations and people to take sides. Not to mention the devastating civil wars and unrest in numerous parts of the world. The peaceful times of before could be clearly seen in the Dubai Expo which happened in 2021-2022, where pavilions from nations like Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine were all present. Here’s another look back at the Dubai Expo. Make peace, not war!
This big, huge ball of multi-coloured yarn, was the Russian Pavilion, Dubai Expo, Mobility District. Moscow was actually a candidate city for Expo 2030, but I guess that's all gone down the drain now, what with Putin embarking on his 'adventure' in Ukraine...
Not too far away, in the Opportunity District, stood the Ukrainian Pavilion. Here's a sculpture inside the Ukraine Pavilion – Whose eyes are those? Putin’s?!?!? The Ukraine War actually started, while the Expo was still in progress! (The Expo took place from October 2021 to March 2022)
The Israeli Pavilion, Opportunity District, Dubai Expo. Yup, Israel was there. The UAE and Israel established diplomatic relations at the end of 2020, as part of the US brokered Abraham Accords, just in time for Israel to set up a pavilion in the Expo. I believe this is the right step to start the 2-state solution process. You’ll have to first recognize that there’re 2 states in that territory, to be able to talk to both. Denial of any one of the 2 states’ right to exist is impractical, and will just prolong the problem
East Jerusalem, as depicted inside the Palestinian Pavilion. Yes, Palestine, despite not being a fully independent state, had its own special, self-built pavilion in the Dubai Expo 2020, Opportunity District. Not bad for a small state
And this is a view from the pavilion of Israel’s ‘arch-enemy’, Iran, Dubai Expo, Mobility District
Even ‘financially-challenged’ Lebanon, had its own self-built pavilion, Dubai Expo, Opportunity District. One of 2 (or was it 3) that featured swings
And here’re some small (modular) pavilions which used the Expo’s ready-built structures to exhibit their displays.
The Syrian Pavilion, created by the Syrian diaspora all around the world. Syria at that time was divided and under international sanctions. Each of the tablets in the photo above, was created by a Syrian individual expressing his/ her wish or memory. Bravo Syria! For putting this together. Mobility District
Myanmar, which at that time was already in a civil war, also had a modular pavilion in the Opportunity District. Myanmar’s Civil War has now been nearly 4 years long. When will it end?
Even Haiti, where the government has now more or less collapsed, had a small pavilion. At that time, the president had just been assassinated. Gangs are still rampant in Haiti, and it seemed like it’s everyone for himself there now. I wouldn’t want to be in a place like that. Hope some semblance of control comes soon. Dubai Expo, Mobility District
Now back to the big pavilions. Pavilions of the other powerful ‘veto’ countries of the UN Security Council coming up (apart from Russia, which I’ve already shown above).
This is the pavilion of the Stars and Stripes, Mobility District, Dubai Expo – The American Pavilion featured a travellator that took visitors around its pavilion, like how sushi is taken around in a conveyor in a sushi restaurant. Wouldn’t this be more appropriate for the Japanese Pavilion? C’mon America, can you stop sowing war, and spread peace instead? Only you have the power to do it
The China Pavilion, Opportunity District, Dubai Expo, the pavilion with laser beams shooting out of its roof
The UK Pavilion, Opportunity, which continually displayed words chosen by its visitors. It’s supposed to use AI to generate messages from the words visitors selected. Dunno if any interesting poem or story came out of this?! How do you fit ‘orgasm’, ‘supernova’, ‘ebola’, ‘quantum’ and ‘donkey’ in one message? Inside, the pavilion was just an empty space, with words on display. You could see the Luxembourg Pavilion further down in the photo above, after the UK Pavilion. It was one of the more interesting pavilions, as visitors had to slide down a metal slide to exit the pavilion after their visit. The kids loved it! We had to stop them from going again and again!!
The France Pavilion, Mobility District. Vive la France! Hmmm… Don’t seem to remember anything about what’s inside the French Pavilion
Finally, ending my post with a peaceful and beautiful small modular pavilion, that of the Holy See (Vatican City State), in Mobility,
Dubai actually did quite a good job in getting the participation of countries in the Expo. I counted only 5 or so countries that weren’t represented in Dubai’s Expo (Ecuador, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Korea and Taiwan). Quite an achievement, Dubai! I wonder how Osaka's Expo later this year would do?
May God have mercy on us. God bless all. Take care.
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