Expo 2020 is a sign of hope in post-pandemic world

By Capt. Mahmood Al Mahmood

Slowly and ever so cautiously, the world is looking past the pandemic and the first sign of this happens to be the Expo 2020 that opened on October 01 in Dubai.

As the date says, this was a global fair that was to bring all the scientific advances, cultural colour and the culinary heritage of many countries of the world to one arena so that visitors could experience the one-ness of our planet and forge new links and economic ties that would serve in the new millennium.

Then the pandemic struck and as the world reeled, the Expo 2020 too was postponed to a safer time – but like the Olympics , the title remained the same.

Now, people are being encouraged to come and enjoy the many new inventions and discoveries and countries are all putting their best footprint on the show which will be remembered as a curtain-raiser to the post-pandemic world. Bahrain has a beautifully built pavilion which will speak about the ancient and still relevant crafts heritage of the Kingdom.

But above all, we will use Expo 2020 to showcase the modern relevance of Bahrain as a business and economic hub in the region, with its excellent connectivity and valuable human resources strength. I would urge all readers to make a visit to Expo 2020 during the six months that it will be on or at least follow the vibrant presence of the Greatest Show on Earth online in various social media channels.

Our understanding of the fragility of our world and how we can live a more sustainable life was brought home by the pandemic and these lessons shall shape the participation of all the countries at Expo 2020. It is a sign of the resilience of our region that we are all leading the world into a new era of hope and renewal.