Dubai is a blueprint for expos

Pyung Oh-kwon, CEO and president of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency

The systematic and well-planned preparations underway in Dubai for the World Expo 2020 could well be a blueprint for other global cities aspiring to host the mega event in future, according to a senior official of South Korea, which is bidding to host the event in 2030.
Pyung Oh-kwon, CEO and president of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra), who is on a visit to Dubai, said if Korea is chosen as the host city for the World Expo in 2030, its participation in Dubai Expo 2020 would become a corner stone in its preparations to host the global trade event.
He said Korea is planning on bidding to host the world expo in Busan, the second largest city in Korea in 2030. Korea has successfully hosted expos in 1993 and 2012, but those expos were not world expos.
"From the time Dubai was selected as the host city for Expo 2020, I believe Dubai has been very systematic and organised in preparing for the expo. I think it can serve as the blueprint for host cities of future expos," said kwon.
He said during the expo, the Korean Pavilion is expected to be more than just a business and architectural showcase.  "Thanks to the popularity of the Korean cultural contents in the GCC region such as Korean TV drama series, music, and more, Korea is planning on organising many cultural events during the expo," said kwon. On March 25, 2018, Korea signed the official participation agreement for Dubai Expo 2020. 
"Since that time, Korea has been busy with preparations for the expo. We have selected the theme of the Korean Pavilion as "Smart Korea, Moving the World to You."
As the national trade promotion agency, Kotra has been focusing on supporting Korean companies that can provide value to the UAE market and the expo. 
"We will continue to work with Korean companies that can bridge the gap between the two nation in creating a better future for the UAE and the GCC region," said Kwan Seok Lee, regional president of Kotra Mena office.
"Korea is one of the pioneers in the 4th industrial revolution era as our fortes are in the high-tech industries like ICT, IoT, AI, VR, and more. And the UAE is one of the leaders in the GCC region for implementing smart city initiatives. With these factors, we believe that Korea's technology and the UAE's drive to become one of the most innovative nations in the world will move the world closer together", said kwon. - issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com