His Excellency, the Syrian Minister of Economy Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalil

United Arab Emirates, Dubai – October 02, 2021: The Syrian Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 was Yesterday inaugurated by His Excellency the Syrian Minister of Economy Dr. Mohammad Samer Al-Khalil in the august presence of His Excellency Ambassador in UAE Dr.Ghassan Abbas, and  Eng. Khaled Shamaa, Director of the Syrian Pavilion,  along with dignitaries, diplomats, and senior attendees.

The Syrian Arab Republic’s participation under the slogan ‘We will Rise Together’ has been conceptualized to showcase to the world Syria’s history, culture, arts, and economy. The Pavilion focuses on presenting Syria as an active and influential country that has contributed immensely to the evolution of mankind. The participation also aims to build bridges of fruitful cooperation for bilateral ties, international alliances, and mutually beneficial business opportunities. Syria’s presence at the global event confirms its preparedness for a competitive future and makes way for several opportunities as 192 other countries join in at the Dubai Expo 2020.

The Syrian Pavilion is a window displaying the country’s rich civilization that has contributed to laying the foundation on which it still stands strong today. The quest is to connect its ancient wisdom with modern times and strive best to rise again and claim its rightful place in the world. The sentiments echoed across the Pavilion are inclusive of the country’s cultural heritage and thread together a united nation that embodies the Expo’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.

At the inaugural ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Economy, Dr. Mohammad said: “We are honored today to be here in the United Arab Emirates to celebrate a global event that the world has been eagerly waiting for. I would like to thank the UAE government for their great hospitality and spectacular inauguration ceremony. The Syrian Pavilion is all set to accompany its visitors on an intriguing journey to discover the past, its diverse civilizations over the years and connect to understand what Syria has to offer.

We are here to welcome new ideas to reinvent our world in light of becoming a source of progress, inspiration, knowledge, and innovation. We are confident that our experience at the Expo 2020 will be a fascinating one when we share our rich heritage and future goals to create a positive impact.”

The Ambassador Dr. Ghassan Abbas added: “On behalf of the team at the Syrian Arab Republic Pavilion, I would like to congratulate the UAE for hosting this global event. The preparations, meticulous planning, and seamless execution have led to a successful start to this event and we look forward to sharing our unique culture with our audiences. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to showcase to the world a civilized image of the Syrian culture and the human with all its components. We look forward to hosting you all at the Syrian Pavilion."

The Syrian Pavilion is set to enthrall its audiences with unique glimpses into the past. Visitors will learn about the world's oldest unearthed musical notation to understand the common global language of music that connects us all. The pavilion has also designed a replica of the Ugarit alphabet, which is agreed upon as the first alphabet in history dating back to about 1400 BC. An interactive musical experience of a piece written about 3500 years ago, Ugarit’s stages of development, writing of the alphabet, and how this alphabet affected the world of the Arabic language are some of the fascinating displays lined up at the Pavilion. It is interesting to know that Syria’s contribution influenced many of the world's languages, and visitors can read words in their native languages ​​of Arabic origin, indicating that what unites us as human beings is much more than what divides us.

On another station at the Pavilion, it showcases the development of a few of the first agricultural societies in Syria, where research dates back to about 15,000 BC. Visitors will get to explore Syria’s role in developing early techniques for counting and recording that preceded writing by using numbers made of clay, called “tokens”. This went on to become the basis on which the Bronze Age economy was built and was followed by other civilizations. Making it further interesting for visitors is an interactive artwork that symbolizes the organic relationship between man and nature.

The pavilion also hosts a group exhibition of Syrian painters titled "I’m Syrian", where each painting represents a face from Syria. The idea is based on the fact that every Syrian is a part of the collective awareness and wants to unite to build a brighter future for Syria and the world. Each face tells an individual story, but all the faces together present an integrated picture of who Syrians are. Through the exhibition, each artist rethinks and recreates the concept of individuality that’s away from narrow biases. The artists have also signed all the paintings with one signature, "I’m Syrian", expressing the dissolution of the individual ego and voting in favor of one identity.

At the end of the tour, the pavilion receives its visitors in a space that expresses Syria and Syrians in their words and pictures. The pavilion’s administration had launched an initiative in its design stage where more than 1,500 Syrian citizens from the country and outside, participated. The messages have been uniquely shared via a wooden plate. This station depicts the wonderful expressions of feelings, aspirations, and vision of all Syrians for the future.

Mr. Khaled Al-Shama’a, (Engineer, Designer, and Manager, Syrian Pavilion) concluded: “On behalf of the pavilion’s staff and all the Syrians, I invite the world to visit us and get to know Syria in a new light.”

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