Masdar delegation visits UAE Pavilion at Milan Expo

Masdar CEO Dr Ahmad Belhoul and a delegation of senior Masdar representatives have visited the UAE Pavilion at the Milan Expo on August 24 to experience how the pavilion is providing visitors from around the world an inspirational and holistic encounter with the United Arab Emirates and its people.

Dr Belhoul also met with Mansour Ibrahim Ahmed Al Mansouri, Acting Director General of the UAE National Media Council (NMC), to discuss the eventual transfer of the pavilion to Masdar City, after the Milan Expo closes, where it will be transformed into Masdar's visitor centre.

The National Media Council has been responsible for organising and facilitating the UAE's participation in the Milan Expo. The pavilion, along with the entire Expo, was inaugurated on 1 May and will remain open until the Expo's conclusion on 31 October.

"On behalf of the National Media Council, we are pleased to have Masdar as an important partner for the UAE Pavilion," said Al Mansouri. "The UAE Pavilion embodies the vision of the UAE leadership in the field of renewable energy and, through its sustainable design, conforms to the example set by Masdar City. We are confident the Pavilion will raise awareness of the importance of clean energy and promote its greater use, as well as improve the experience of visitors to Masdar City in the future."

Dr Belhoul said: "The UAE Pavilion at the Milan Expo is much more than an introduction to our nation and culture, it engages international visitors in the sustainability challenges we all face, such as how we can balance the need for energy, water and food production. The UAE Pavilion also conforms to Masdar's high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability, an essential factor for it to become the visitor centre at Masdar City.

"We look forward to relocating the pavilion to Masdar City, where it can showcase the innovative solutions we are pursuing at Masdar, though deployment of renewable energy for power generation, developing more sustainable urban environments and training the next generation of energy leaders."

As well as being the UAE Pavilion's sustainability partner, Masdar played a key role in the pavilion's development. The design and ethos of the UAE Pavilion drew its inspiration from Masdar City, a model for sustainable urban development.

In addition to conforming to Masdar's high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability, the UAE Pavilion also reflects the company's innovative approach to solving fundamental regional and global challenges.

The Masdar delegation visited other pavilions, including Etihad Airways those of GCC countries, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, and the Russian Federation. The delegation also held meetings to plan for the next Expo, which will be hosted by Dubai in 2020.