Qatar has officially received the flag of the International Horticultural Expo Doha 2021 from China, the host country of the current edition.
HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie received the flag during a spectacular ceremony held to mark the conclusion of the Expo Beijing 2019.
The event was attended by the Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang, and heads of participating governments, senior officials, representatives of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and commissioners of the pavilions.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE al-Subaie expressed his happiness at officially receiving the flag of the Expo Doha 2021, stressing that the confidence in Qatar’s organisation of such an event comes as a continuation of the successes achieved by the country in all fields at home and abroad under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
HE al-Subaie thanked the BIE and the AIPH for their confidence in Qatar’s organisation of Expo 2021.
He also thanked China for the well organised Expo Beijing 2019, which was a great success and attracted a huge number of visitors from all over the world.
The minister explained that Qatar’s hosting of Expo Doha 2021 stems from its support for a greener and sustainable environment through its relentless endeavour to preserve the environment, and its acknowledgement that climate, water and soil are indispensable resources, which are threatened and depleted.
“Our goal is to enhance international co-operation in environmental and cultural issues and to address the global common challenge of climate issues,” he said.
He pointed out that Qatar is the first country with a desert climate in the Middle East and North Africa to host the expo, expecting that this will have a profound impact on the experience of Qatar and other Gulf states, the region and other countries, especially with the growing international awareness in relation to global warming and global climate change.
Expo Doha 2021 will be held from October 2021 to March 2022 under the title “Green Desert, a Better Environment”. It is expected to attract 3mn visitors from over 80 countries and will be held in Al Bidda Park, located in the heart of Doha.
Expo Doha 2021 aims to inspire and inform people about innovative solutions and reduce desertification, and will support the themes of modern agriculture, technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainability and to host the first horticultural exhibition in a desert climate region.
On Monday, Qatar concluded its participation in Expo Beijing 2019. The total number of visitors to Qatar’s pavilion reached 20,000 a day. The pavilion won the grand award of the Expo’s organising committee for the best foreign pavilion and also the grand award of the AIPH, the most prestigious awards for foreign pavilions participating in the exhibition.
Meanwhile, Acting Secretary General of Expo Doha 2021, Engineer Jamal Sherida al-Kaabi has said that Qatar’s success in Expo Beijing 2019 is the result of the efforts and aspirations made by the country to create more sustainable development, preserve the environment and enhance efforts in this area, adding it proved the excellence of the country in all its international participations and its achievement of prestigious positions as a result of its contributions to international forums.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Engineer al-Kaabi said that the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and the pavilion’s organising committee resulted in this win, and introduced the world to Qatar’s efforts in the field of horticulture, agriculture and environmental conservation as well as to the country’s history and heritage. Through its participation, Qatar has also gained experience and developed proposals to host the event in Doha 2021, he said.
Qatar will host Expo 2021 from 14 October 2021 to 17 March 2022. The 155-day-long expo is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and would contribute to the achievement of its economic, social and environmental pillars, he said.
On the challenges facing Qatar to host the Expo, he said that the time factor is the most important challenge, stressing that this necessitates more efforts to prepare the venue for this huge event, in addition to co-ordinating daily and weekly events suitable for visitors who will attend from different countries of the world.
He added, “We have two years to complete all the projects and preparations associated with hosting the Expo Doha 2021, in addition to the implementation of all the requirements set by the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), and the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).”
Meanwhile, HE al-Subaie yesterday met the president of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Bernard Oosterom, and the AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe.
During the meeting, Bernard and Briercliffe congratulated the Minister on Qatar Pavilion’s winning of the association’s grand award and the grand award of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition (Expo Beijing 2019), wishing Qatar success in hosting the International Horticultural Expo Doha 2021.
HE al-Subaie thanked the president of the association and its secretary general for the efforts made by the AIPH to make this important event a success and for its confidence in Qatar to be the organiser of this event in 2021.
The meeting also dealt with Qatar’s preparations to host Doha Expo 2021.
Engineer Jamal Sherida al-Kaabi
