UAE enthrals audience at Yeosu expo

Tens of thousands of people from all over the world joined the UAE in its celebrations of a second National Day at Expo 2012 at Yeosu in South Korea on Thursday. The UAE’s maritime-themed pavilion attracted thousands of visitors on Thursday, while crowds outside the expo were entertained with outdoor Emirati traditional shows. Traditional Emirati dances, oriental music and promotional videos were the main features at the UAE’s pavilion themed around “the living ocean and coast”, as is the Yeosu expo as a whole. Unlike the UAE pavilion at the Shanghai Expo two years ago which was shaped like a sand dune, the pavilion in South Korea illustrates the UAE’s maritime history and efforts to preserve its long coasts and details key events in the UAE’s 41-year history.The UAE’s national troupe performed traditional Ayyalah dance which represents a battle signifying the defeat of enemy and celebration of victory. Key areas Organised by the National Media Council (NMC), the UAE pavilion at Expo 2012 has five key areas —The exterior facade featuring a “timeline” and a special greeting, the “pre-show” featuring many interactive presentations, games and documentaries, a “sea tunnel”, a themed theatre screening a mini-feature film and the “post-show”. Reem Al Hashemi, UAE’s Minister of State, attended a flag hoisting ceremony and said the UAE pavilion presents the UAE successful story in management and development of marine environment and life. The minister stressed that such a prominent international gathering of nations call for a proactive role to ensure the future of coming generations through their commitment to a better understanding of the conservation and development of the marine environment. Al Hashemi added that the UAE was keen to use the event, both as an opportunity to showcase the country’s heritage and achievements in marine-related areas and as a platform to share with other countries the UAE’s experiences for preservation of coastal environments in a rapidly developing setting. Focus attention Abdullah Al Aidarous, Deputy Commissioner General of UAE Pavilion, said the message of the expo in Korea is to focus attention of the international community to oceans, seas and coasts. “Given the fact that oceans occupy about four-fifths of our planet’s surface, we need to think more in terms of Planet Ocean” rather than Planet Earth,” he added. He said the participation of UAE in this Expo demonstrates the tremendous pioneering efforts the UAE is contributing to protect and conserve oceans. The UAE’s marine-related economy, encompassing fisheries, industries, trade, tourism and leisure, accounts for a very significant portion of GDP. Archaeological evidence confirms that for millennia the sea provided a corridor for wide-ranging cultural communications and trade, together with essential food supplies and valuable commodities such as pearls. The pattern of human settlement in the land now occupied by the UAE has been one in which the coast has been of prime importance with nearly all the country’s cities situated next to the sea.from gulfnews.com