Luxembourg confirmed participation in EXPO 2020 DUBAI

During their visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23 and 24 October 2016, Étienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy and Maggy Nagel, Commissioner General of Luxembourg to Expo 2020 Dubai, during a meeting with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, officially announced Luxembourg’s participation in the World Expo. The Grand Duchy is thus one of the first countries to formally confirm its participation in this event, which aims to welcome over 25 million visitors, 70% of whom will come from outside the UAE.

In June 2016, in a letter to His Royal Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Emir of Dubai, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel informed the UAE of Luxembourg’s willingness to participate in an event of such global scope. The main theme of the World Expo, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, focuses on mobility, opportunities for the future and sustainable development.

Étienne Schneider and Maggy Nagel then had a meeting with Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau. Following this working meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Étienne Schneider said: “The partnership with the UAE and above all our participation in Expo 2020 Dubaï is a continuation of the good economic and diplomatic relations between our two countries. With its aim of promoting innovation and sustainable development, the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai is closely aligned with our national policy of multisectoral economic diversification, particularly in the space sector, and should serve as a platform for the expertise of Luxembourg economic players, some of whom have already expressed their intention to be onboard with any participation by Luxembourg.”

Luxembourg has long enjoyed close bilateral relations with the Emirates. The 2011 opening of the first diplomatic mission in the Gulf region in Abu Dhabi testifies to the excellent relations between our two countries.

Maggy Nagel and Étienne Schneider also met with the Minister of the Economy, Sultan Al Mansouri, to discuss the economic relations between Luxembourg and the UAE, Luxembourg’s most important trading partner in the Gulf region. The total volume of trade reached nearly 580 million euro in 2015.

Communicated by the ministry of the Economy