UK State Minister for Trade and Investment visits UAE Pavilion at Milan Expo
UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment Francis Maude visited the UAE Pavilion at the Milan Expo on 17 June 2015
Francis Maude
During his tour of the UAE pavilion - which was designed by UK architects Foster + Partners – the Minister saw several exhibitors at the pavilion including Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Municipality, the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, and Etisalat.
Minister Maude stressed the UK’s commitment to supporting the UAE to deliver Dubai Expo 2020 and highlighted UK Export Finance’s offer of 500 million USD to help finance the project.
The central theme of the UAE pavilion is “Food for Thought” encouraging visitors to reflect and address the challenges of sustainability in water, food and energy. Foster + Partners took their inspiration for the pavilion’s design from the evocative landscape and sustainable, traditional architecture of the UAE. The visitor experience was designed by UK creative design consultancy, Land Design Studio.
Speaking after the tour, Minister Maude said:
The UAE pavilion is breathtaking. I am proud that UK companies played a part in the creation of this innovative masterpiece. The UK’s public and early support for Dubai’s bid to host Expo 2020 was the first time we had ever come out publicly to support an Expo candidate city. If the pavilion is anything to go by, the world should be very excited about what Dubai 2020 will bring.
Minister Maude was in Milan for the UK’s “national day” at the Expo.
Last week UK Trade & Investment hosted a Grown in Britain event in Dubai to promote the UK’s work at the Milan Expo and to showcase UK expertise in green housing, waste water/energy management and other areas in the sustainability field.
Notes to editors
Foster + Partners is a UK architecture and design company who are based in London. They designed the UAE’s pavilion at Shanghai Expo in 2010.
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