Why the UAE’s story at World Expo matters to the world

Fifty-five years ago, Abu Dhabi participated in its first World Expo in Osaka in 1970 with quiet ambition and a clear message: we are ready to engage with the world. Today, the UAE is back in Osaka not as observers, but as convenors, collaborators and catalysts of change. Expo 2025 is not just a global gathering; it is a proving ground for shared progress. The UAE Pavilion stands as a working model of what it means to lead with purpose, build with vision and partner with humility.

World Expos have evolved. They are no longer stages for grand statements alone. They are now incubators of cooperation, places where policy meets creativity, and where nations test ideas that might shape the global future. This evolution mirrors the UAE’s own journey, from a newly formed federation to a nation that places innovation, sustainability and human potential at the heart of its identity.

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Our experience as the host nation of Expo 2020 Dubai marked a defining moment in the UAE’s global engagement. For six months, we welcomed visitors from across the world, creating a platform that celebrated innovation, culture and cooperation across 192 participating countries. Expo 2020 was not only the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region, but also a demonstration of how the UAE brings together ambition and inclusion on a global scale. That legacy lives on through our participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, where we continue the dialogue we began on home soil

The theme of the UAE Pavilion, Earth to Ether, captures our philosophy. It represents the nation’s commitment to empowering life across every spectrum: from tangible environmental action to boundless ambition in space exploration. The Pavilion’s three narrative zones, Explorers of Space, Catalysts of Healthcare, and Stewards of Sustainability, are not static exhibitions. They are dynamic stories of people and partnerships building the future.

Take our journey into space. The UAE was the first Arab nation to reach Mars. But beyond that achievement lies purpose. The data from the Emirates Mars Mission is freely shared with the global scientific community. As a founding member of Nasa’s Artemis Accords and a core contributor to the Gateway project, the Moon’s future orbital station, the UAE is shaping the future of space not in isolation but in solidarity. This is diplomacy through science and it is being showcased live at the pavilion.

In healthcare, our story begins with necessity but now drives global innovation. With partnerships ranging from Kyoto University to the World Health Organisation, the UAE is investing in genomic research, preventative medicine and AI-powered diagnostics. Through institutions like PureHealth, M42, and the Abu Dhabi Biobank, we are developing healthcare systems designed not just to treat, but to predict and personalise care.

Our efforts on sustainability are deeply rooted in tradition. The Pavilion’s architecture is inspired by the date palm tree, a symbol of resilience and generosity, and reimagined through cutting-edge circular design. Constructed from cross-laminated timber using Japanese joinery techniques, the Pavilion is demountable and sustainable by design. But the symbolism is greater than structure. Our ancestors built with what they had. We now build for what the world needs.

Yet what truly distinguishes this Pavilion is not the design or technology, but the spirit within. Youth Ambassadors warmly welcome visitors, showcasing hospitality shaped by generations of Emirati culture. Artists, performers, scientists and artisans have transformed the space into a vibrant, living experience. Our values of openness, resilience and ambition are brought to life through human connection.

In a time of geopolitical tension, climate anxiety and digital fragmentation, the UAE’s story offers something essential: a model of balanced modernity. Here is a nation that embraces progress without abandoning its identity, that celebrates diversity while preserving its roots and that seeks global relevance without demanding conformity.

And this is precisely why the UAE’s story at Expo 2025 matters.

It is not about projecting an image; rather, it is about proposing a pathway — one that is collaborative, grounded and future-facing; one where space missions serve Earth, where sustainability is integrated into everyday life and where diplomacy is practised through architecture, education and shared discovery.

The UAE Pavilion is also a tribute to the deep and enduring relationship between the UAE and Japan. This partnership, built on decades of trust and trade, now expands into co-innovation in energy, healthcare, logistics and sustainability. At Expo 2025, we are not just neighbours on the Expo map. We are partners in purpose.

As Commissioner General and as Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Japan, I have had the privilege of witnessing how Japanese visitors engage with the Pavilion. What resonates with them is not grandeur. It is sincerity. Not scale, but substance. It is in these moments of connection that the true success of an Expo lives.

We are now past the opening fanfare. The Pavilion is alive with questions, conversations, and curiosity. The next phase of our Expo journey is to turn engagement into collaboration and collaboration into legacy. Already, new ideas are emerging, from educational exchanges and business partnerships to sustainability pilots and joint research. We invite the world to join us in shaping what comes after Expo.

The UAE’s participation at Expo 2025 Osaka is not just an exhibit. It is an invitation to engage with us, collaborate with us and co-create a future that serves all life, from the Earth to the ether.

That is why our story matters and we are proud to tell it once again in Osaka.

Shihab Alfaheem, is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka