Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will attend the official opening of the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai during the Netherlands’ national day on 3 November 2021. They will be accompanied by foreign trade and development minister Tom de Bruijn, who will be leading a simultaneous trade mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on sustainable urban development.
Nearly 50 Dutch companies from the water, sustainable energy, food, urban development and logistics sectors are participating in the trade mission. ‘I’m pleased that so many Dutch entrepreneurs see opportunities for growth here,’ Mr De Bruijn says. ‘There’s great demand in the Gulf region for sustainable solutions in these sectors. For instance, ways to grow crops using less water. Our companies have a lot to offer, and Expo – and the Netherlands Pavilion – offers them a fantastic podium to showcase themselves to the Gulf region and the rest of the world. The Dutch government is keen to help them capitalise on this opportunity.’
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mandated the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) to organise the trade mission. Ingrid Thijssen, president of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), is the lead business representative. The mission is part of a broader six-month programme in the Netherlands Pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai. It includes a number of weeks centred around specific themes, during which Dutch businesses and other organisations in the highlighted sectors can grow their networks and do business with partners in the Gulf region and beyond. Themes include climate, healthcare, food security and water.
About the Netherlands Pavilion
Expo 2020 Dubai, the 35th world exposition, was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and is now taking place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The Netherlands Pavilion, which will be spotlighted on the Netherlands’ national day, is designed as a circular climate system – a biotope – that showcases Dutch expertise in the areas of water, energy and food. In accordance with the pavilion’s theme of ‘Uniting water, energy and food’, visitors can see how solar energy is used to harvest water from the desert air, so that the plants in the pavilion can grow. The materials used in building the pavilion are also a good example of sustainable and circular approaches to construction.
