Netherlands commits to Dh81 million Expo 2020 pavilion

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Netherlands commits to Dh81 million Expo 2020 pavilion
The Netherlands will invest ?19.4 million (Dh81.1 million) for its Expo 2020 participation.

dubai - The pavilion will be located in Expo 2020's Sustainability district

by

Sandhya D'Mello

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Published: Sun 9 Dec 2018, 7:37 PM

Last updated: Sun 9 Dec 2018, 9:52 PM

The UAE and the Netherlands will be working towards innovation, youth and women entrepreneurship, among other key areas, as part of preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai take-off, said Hans Sandee, commissioner-general for the Dutch Pavilion at the event.

Current trade between the two nations is expected to touch $3 billion and is seen to surge as more Dutch companies eye expansion in the region.

The Netherlands will invest ?19.4 million (Dh81.1 million) for its Expo 2020 participation. The pavilion was designed by Dutch firms V8 architects, Kossmann.dejong, Witteveen+Bos and Switzerland-based Expomobilia. The pavilion will be located in Expo 2020's Sustainability Thematic District.

The design of the Dutch pavilion and its theme, 'Uniting water, energy and food', were revealed on Sunday at an event in Dubai, attended by Najeeb Mohammed Al Ali, executive director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau. Michiel Raaphorst of V8 architects, Roger Kornmayer of Expomobilia, Steven Delfgaauw of Witteveen+Bos and Mark de Jong of Kossmann.dejong, were also present.

"We're proud of this wonderful design, which shows what the Netherlands is all about. Developing unique integrated solutions that create links, especially in the areas of water, energy and food, where we are world leaders," said Dutch foreign trade and development minister Sigrid Kaag.

The Middle East is affected by global issues such as water scarcity, food security and rising demand for energy. Gulf countries tend to consume more water and energy per capita than other parts of the world and the majority of the region's food is imported.

This is where the Netherlands is keen to contribute. By showcasing homegrown solutions that link the issues of water, energy and food - and by working closely with Gulf countries to develop sustainable solutions appropriate to their local ecosystems - the nation's innovation, knowledge and expertise will help the region create a greener, more sustainable future.

Yas Island, the Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, the Dubai Canal, the Museum of the Future, the Port of Fujairah and Dubai Airports are all ventures in which Dutch companies have been involved.

With a pavilion featuring a circular climate system, the Dutch campaign and its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will help the country to capitalise on opportunities not only in the Gulf, but also further afield.

"It's a real calling card for the Netherlands," said Hans Sandee, the Dutch Consul-General to Dubai. "We're looking forward to receiving members of the public and lots of visitors from the business world."

The pavilion's unique design gives visitors a powerful sense of the connection between water, energy and food. A circular climate system - a biotope, essentially - provides visitors, tourists and business people alike, with a sensory experience.

It was designed as a miniature world that you can enter, where water, energy and food are intrinsically linked, and the climate is controlled naturally. In a country with a desert climate, the Netherlands is creating a biotope in which everything is connected, enabling us to produce our own water, energy and food.

The Netherlands is also setting a sustainable example in terms of the building itself. It will be constructed entirely from locally available construction materials so as to minimise transportation. The interior too will feature only rented materials, which will be returned or repurposed at a new destination when the pavilion is dismantled. In this way, its ecological footprint will be minimised.

- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com


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