Dubai Expo: Indonesian Pavilion logs over 1.5 million visitors

Dubai, March 12 (ANTARA) - More than 1.5 million people have visited the Indonesian Pavilion at the 2020 Dubai Expo since it opened on October 1, 2021. As of March 10, 2022, the Indonesian Pavilion has recorded 1,527,823 visitors, accounting for 8–9 percent of the total visitors at the expo, where hundreds of countries have set up their own pavilions, Indonesian Consul General in Dubai, Kartika Candra Negara, said. The total number of visitors at the expo has been pegged at 17 million people. "Indonesia’s Pavilion is one of the independent pavilions that has piqued the interest of many visitors at the expo […] the number, that almost reached 9 percent; this is a significant number," he said in an interview with ANTARA at the Indonesian Pavilion in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The number of visitors to the pavilion has been fluctuating due to the rise in COVID-19 cases on account of the Omicron outbreak, he informed. "The dynamics are rather interesting as the expo is being held amid the COVID pandemic, so the fluctuation in the number of visitors is very much apparent," he said. Negara said he believes that thus far, the Indonesian Pavilion has succeeded in projecting a national brand that presents a sophisticated Indonesia before the international community, without leaving out its rich history, especially how the nation became part of the global trade chain hundreds of years ago through the spice trade. In addition, the Indonesian Pavilion has also promoted the Indonesia 2045 vision as a picture of what the future looks like. The sophisticated and futuristic installations displayed at the pavilion are complemented by Indonesian food and coffee that can be enjoyed by visitors. "We try to invite visitors to experience Indonesia from our point of view, to listen, and even have a taste of it. That is why we have an Indonesian restaurant on the bottom floor," Negara explained. Various ministries and institutions involved in the pavilion have also showcased investment opportunities in various fields, including infrastructure, education, and tourism, through business matching and business forums. According to the Consul General, it is evident from the business that entrepreneurs from the Gulf countries, beyond the United Arab Emirates, are showing a keen interest in the high investment potential in Indonesia.