H.E. Al Falasi visits Spanish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

Pavilion highlights ancient ties between Spain and the Arab world

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, visited Spain’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, which is located in Sustainability District under the theme ‘Intelligence for Life.’ He was welcomed by José Andrés Torres Mora, Commissioner General of the pavilion, and Julieta Casanova, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of Spain in the UAE.

During his visit, Dr. Al Falasi said that Expo 2020 Dubai is an important and distinguished opportunity that drives the development of global economies. The event helps create a sustainable economic model for the post-Covid era by providing solutions, facilitating dialogue, and inspiring action in important areas that contribute to building this new economic model. He pointed to the exceptional impact that the exhibition has on the economy of the UAE, as it will help accelerate trade and investment exchange in all sectors, especially in the futuristic ones.

H.E. Dr.  Al Falasi reviewed the design of the pavilion that has been built using sustainable materials, capable of mitigating high temperatures. The walls of its gate display historical facts about Andalusia to reinforce the shared ties between Spain and the Arab world and affirms the spirit of Islamic civilization rooted in the history of the Andalusian state that paved the way for progress and growth at all levels.   

 The pavilion displays the concept of sustainability in a holistic manner, with future aspirations based on developing ideas that achieve a balance between the growing human needs and the systems that generate and maintain life on Earth. The pavilion highlights the relations between the Arab World and Spain and aims to become an example of intelligent creativity, capable of uniting people around sustainable projects in the fields of science, technology, education, and art.

The UAE-Spanish economic ties have witnessed significant development over the past few years. Spain is the UAE’s sixth largest European trading partner that accounts for five per cent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade with the EU countries. Furthermore, the Spanish market is one of the most vital global priority markets for the UAE’s business and investment community, with Emirati investments in Spain amounting to more than USD 4.3 billion.

The value of non-oil foreign trade exchange between the two countries stood at USD 2.6 billion in 2021, a growth of 17 per cent compared to the previous year. The UAE's non-oil exports to Spain stood at USD 350 million, which is double the amount in 2020, especially in aluminum products. Spain is the second largest European importer of aluminum from the UAE.