Following the successful participation in Milan 2015, Bahrain is now getting ready for the next Expo2020 in Dubai. The Kingdom has secured its pavilion at the Expo2020 Dubai. H.E. Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) signed the contract with H.E. Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau. Following the announcement, H.M. King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a directive and a royal assignment for the organization of the Kingdom’s participation in the event.
The expo in Dubai would be the third one in which Bahrain would present. Before that, the country took part in the exhibitions in Shanghai 2010 and Milan 2015. The Bahraini delegation came back from Italy with a silver medal for its innovative pavilion.
H.E. Shaikha Mai, the General Commissioner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Bahrain pavilion said that the preparations have already started. A dedicated team is working hard to present Bahrain’s rich cultural heritage and its business potential as a sustainable tourism-for-development destination.
During the last Expo in Milan, Bahrain’s pavilion has attracted millions of visitors. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of Bahrain and designed by the Dutch architect Anne Holtrop, the “Archaeologies of Green” pavilion won the second prize for “Best pavilion built on a plot larger than 2000 sqm”. The pavilion represented the ancient civilization of Dilmun and the country’s agrarian heritage and culture. The centerpiece of the building were ten distinct fruit gardens, each bearing fruits at a different time during the six-month-long event. It reminded of the legends of Bahrain as the location of the Garden of Eden and the Land of the One Million Palms. The architect Anne Holtrop admitted she had never heard of Bahrain before she accepted the project and she was fascinated to know more about its ancient history and traditions.