Preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai marked a new milestone with Luxembourg becoming the first country to formally sign a participation contract.

Although some 120 nations have either publicly or privately confirmed they will take part in  the World Expo, the first to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Luxembourg's signing of the contract comes after the city nation received approval for the theme and location of its national pavilion.

Expo 2020 opens on 20 October 2020 and closes six months later, on 10 April 2021. More than 180 countries are expected to participate, with further national participation announcements expected in the coming months.

The theme - 'Resourceful Luxembourg' - aims to reflect the landlocked country's status as a smart nation that looks abroad to connect the human, natural, technical, industrial and financial resources it needs to shape its future.

A high-level delegation from Luxembourg - including high-ranking members of its Royal Family - is visiting Dubai to meet Expo 2020 organisers and the business community, as part of plans to maximise its ?25 million investment in the next World Expo.

Maggy Nagel, General Commissioner of the Luxembourg Pavilion and President of the Board of Management of Luxembourg @ Expo 2020 Dubai and Najeeb Al-Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, signed the contract.

Luxembourg  delegation is spearheading plans to further enhance the political and economic ties it enjoys with the UAE, as well as maximising benefits before, during and after Expo 2020 Dubai.

Among those joining Maggy Nagel on the delegation are  Prince Guillaume, Crown Prince of Luxembourg; Princess Stéphanie, Crown Princess of Luxembourg; Etienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy; François Bausch, Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure; and  Elisabeth Cardoso Jordão, Ambassador of Luxembourg in the UAE. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said the signing of Luxembourg's official participation contract is yet another important milestone on our journey to Expo 2020 Dubai and beyond.  "We look forward to working closely with all stakeholders in Luxembourg as their theme and pavilion take shape, and the even stronger bilateral relations that their participation at Expo 2020 Dubai will create between the UAE and Luxembourg.

"With so many countries having either publicly or privately confirmed their participation, we are on track to deliver our goal of hosting the most inclusive World Expo ever," said Sheikh Ahmed.

Schneider, said his country's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai is in line with the continuing excellent relations between the UAE and Luxembourg. "By promoting innovation and sustainable development, the profile of Expo 2020 fits perfectly with our national policy of economic diversification, in particularly with regard to the space sector, clean technologies and to information and communication technologies. Our participation at Expo is big  opportunity for making the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and all its economic advantages even better known on the international scene, and more particularly in the Middle East," said Schneider.

The spiral-shaped Luxembourg Pavilion, will be located in the Opportunity District. Luxembourg and the UAE enjoy strong bilateral relations and have signed a number of memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements in the areas of space exploration, financial services and non-oil trade.

Source: Khaleej Times