Meet the Luxembourg Pavilion team in Dubai: Betty Dupont

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

We’re excited to introduce you to the people working at Expo 2020 Dubai. During 6 unforgettable months, they’ll assure that the message of the Luxembourg Pavilion resonates in all its vibrancy.

Today, you’ll meet Betty Dupont, Assistant to the Director.

1. What is your name and what do you do at the Luxembourg Pavilion?

My name is Betty Dupont and I am the assistant to the director. In other words, I assist in the supervision and execution of the various programs on the Pavilion, am in charge of the accounting as well as numerous administrative tasks.

Moreover, I translate various documents from English into Arabic.

2. What motivated you to work at the Luxembourg Pavilion?

Having studied the Arabic culture and language for many years in Paris, I felt that EXPO 2020 in Dubai was the perfect destination to put into practice my knowledge and motivation.

As a Luxembourger, I am very proud to represent my country abroad and to contribute to the achievements during this event. I was also looking for a job which stands out from everyday life and I reckon that this event is the perfect match.

3. What does a day at the Luxembourg Pavilion look like?

Working at the Luxembourg Pavilion is full of surprises. Indeed, there is no typical day.

Before coming to Dubai, I was well aware that it was not going to be an ordinary job position. There are days when we have official delegations and missions.

In that case, the whole team is under a fair amount of pressure and needs to make sure that all is going well.

My tasks go from driving the guests in a buggy, informing the other pavilions about their arrival for a visit to monitoring the protocol. But then there are days when I have to take a look over our account book and verify that all is in order.

4. What is your favorite aspect of working for the Luxembourg Pavilion and for Expo 2020 Dubai?

As mentioned before, there is no ordinary day in my job and that’s probably my favorite aspect. Every day is different and my tasks constantly differ.

Furthermore, we are a great team and get along very well. Operating in a good work environment can be rather tricky but the recruiters had a knack for picking out the right employees.

Hence, I am very grateful for having kind and helpful colleagues and bosses. Last but not least, working in such a beautiful building is just amazing.

5. What is your favorite part of the Luxembourg Pavilion?

From the queuing to the finishing part, which is our famous slide, it is difficult to decide.

When you walk along the ramp, you hear people saying “Welcome to Luxembourg” in multiple languages, followed by numerous screens displaying our multicultural population.

But in the end, I reckon that the movie is my favorite part of our pavilion. The quality and the sound are so impressive that the first time I saw it, I felt goosebumps all over my body.

The pictures and their effects are just fascinating and accompanied by such a dramatic music composition. Throughout the exhibition, I learned a lot about my country as well, which makes me even prouder to be part of this adventure.

6. What is the most important lesson you have learned during your time working for the Luxembourg Pavilion so far?

The list of lessons continuously grows. Not only do I work in a country with a different mentality and culture, but it is also my first job in this domain.

Before working here, I rather worked in the linguistic and educational sector. So, it took a lot of adjustments and understanding at the beginning.

Every new day bears fruits and I become a bit more patient, compassionate, disciplined, and autonomous. And finally, I have learned that there are moments in our office when we laugh and take it easy. But when it’s time to work and be serious, all hands on deck!

7. Any special events you’re particularly looking forward to?

To be honest, there is no event, in particular, I look forward to attending. EXPO offers many different events, from concerts to conferences.

Being a fan of music and culture from all around the world, I look forward to attending all different kinds of music shows, be it African dance shows, Arabic singers, or Salsa performances.

8. What can EXPO 2020 DUBAI do for our future?

EXPO 2020 DUBAI is all about mobility, opportunity, and sustainability.

As the motto says, connecting minds and creating future is on the agenda. The visitors should acknowledge all the beautiful facets of the different countries and cultures.

We live all together on this planet and therefore should work, hand in hand, on protecting nature, being kind to each other and creating new technologies which help us improve the future.

We need to understand that our living conditions are deteriorating because of our reckless behavior towards nature, animals and ourselves as well. EXPO offers a lot of pavilions and workshops trying to raise awareness concerning this matter. Our planet is beautiful, yet vulnerable and should be appreciated and treated with respect by humankind.