UAE's Expo 2012 pavilion attracts thousands

BEIJING // The UAE's dramatic pavilion at Expo 2012 in South Korea is attracting a share of the tens of thousands of visitors each day.

The marine-themed display is one of several produced by Middle East countries, with Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Qatar also taking part at the world's fair in Yeosu, on the country's south coast.

Hana Moon, an expo public relations officer, said the event had attracted a good response from the public since it opened on Saturday, adding that organisers were expecting crowds to grow once the holiday season started. The overall target is for attendances to reach eight million over the three months of the exposition.

"The expo has just opened and we've had around 40,000 [visitors] a day," she said. "Many international visitors are coming right now."

Ms Moon said that, following earlier rain, the current "really nice" weather was also helping to ensure the event proved popular.

A strong contingent of foreign countries and international organisations were taking part, she added, with some organising shows for visitors.

While the UAE pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai was shaped like a sand dune, in South Korea the theme is inspired by "the living ocean and coast", as is the entire event. The UAE's pavilion includes a timeline detailing key events in the country's history.

The award-winning Shanghai tent was a hit with visitors, with more than two million enjoying a dramatic audio-visual display during the six months the expo ran.

Breaknews.com, an influential Korean news portal, reported yesterday that there was a very good chances the UAE could attract Expo 2020 to Dubai.

This was based on the initial reactions from Asian, Arab and African countries, according to Wam, the state news agency.

dbardsley@thenational.ae