UAE stresses support, participation in Milano Expo 2015

Abu Dhabi, March 10, 2012 (WAM) - The UAE has confirmed its support and participation in the next World EXPO, which will be held in Milan, Italy in 2015. A meeting of the UAE EXPO Planning Group took place at the National Media Council on 03 and 04 March. Key parameters of the project were discussed by architects, planners, creative consultants and specialist companies. Leading companies attending the meetings included the architectural practice founded by Sir Norman Foster, Foster + Partners, that designed much of Masdar City as well as the Abu Dhabi Central Market and the Zayed Museum. They were also architects for the award-winning UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China. That sand-dune shaped building was subsequently brought back to the UAE and now stands on Saadiyat Island, adjacent to Maanarat. "We hope that the UAE's success in Shanghai can be repeated and even surpassed in Milan", stated the Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion and Director General of the National Media Council, Ibrahim Al Abed. A key aspect of EXPO 2015 Milan is its focus on sustainability and Masdar will play a significant role in helping the EXPO 2015 team adhere to One-Planet guidelines and achieve a carbon neutral project. "This is not just a matter of good practice and environmental responsibility", stated the Project Director, "but it is an integral part of the UAE story and its exhibition under the event's general theme: Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life'". "We have some really exciting plans for the UAE's pavilion at EXPO 2015", stated the Pavilion Director, Abdulla Al-Aidarous, noting that "I can promise both the organisers and the general public that the UAE Pavilion will surprise and delight all who will visit it." The team will be developing the project throughout this year and will enter the main building phase early in 2014 with the aim of being ready for testing prior to the opening of the EXPO in 2015. - Emirates News Agency, WAM