DUBAI, 22 January 2022 – Singapore unveiled a new orchid named Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai at Al Wasl Plaza today (22 January) as part of the country’s Expo 2020 Dubai National Day celebrations.
Created by the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the orchid features a delicate bouquet of golden yellow petals with light purple veins, and commemorates the strong bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, and His Excellency Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, welcomed His Excellency Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Republic of Singapore.
HE Sheikh Nahayan said: “Singapore’s pavilion highlights how the country continues to strive towards liveability, sustainability and resilience through innovative urban solutions, and shares its story in relation to how challenges are turned into opportunities through the smart integration of technology, design and natural resources.
“With deep-rooted relations that date back to 1985, the UAE and Singapore share much in common, from being among the safest countries in the world to both being global hubs for finance, human capital, innovation, logistics, technology and tourism within our respective regions. We strongly believe that Singapore’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai will further facilitate the expansion of its network, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, as well as deepen the engagement between our two countries.”
HE Teo Chee Hean said: “As small states and hubs in our respective regions, Singapore and the UAE share common outlooks and challenges, and can work together for mutual benefit. The Singapore-UAE Comprehensive Partnership (SUCP) provides a useful framework to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The UAE remains Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East, and our two countries are both strong advocates of creating a more sustainable future.
“With the theme of ‘Nature. Nurture. Future’, the Singapore Pavilion exemplifies Singapore’s vision of creating a more liveable and sustainable urban environment by integrating nature, architecture and technology. Powered by solar energy and drawing on groundwater which is desalinated on-site, the Singapore Pavilion is designed to be a self-sufficient ecosystem with a net-zero energy target for the six-month duration of Expo 2020 Dubai.”
Al Wasl Plaza hosted a spirited dance performance by four soloists, trained in classical Chinese, Indian and Malay dance forms, and traditional Malay martial art pencak silat. Each performance showcased Singapore’s multi-ethnic and multi-cultural identity.
In a special statement given at the Singapore Pavilion, HE Teo Chee Hean said: “What we want to show here in our little pavilion is how we can put together in a small space, nature, and how we can nurture it for the future. We hope this place can become a space where we can have conversations about the kind of future we would like. We know that, here in the UAE, you have many aspirations and you are innovating and creating many wonderful things for the future. We would like to together work with you, and together with other countries in the world, to see how together with nature we can nurture the future.”
The Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai was later displayed at the Singapore Pavilion’s Flower Cone, together with two other prominent orchid hybrids. Visitors can also view the Dendrobium Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, named in tribute to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation; as well as the Aranda Lee Kuan Yew, named in honour of the late Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of modern Singapore.
The Singapore Pavilion also played host to Haikal Johari, Executive Chef of Michelin-star restaurant Alma by Juan Amador, who prepared bite-sized samples from a special Mod-Sin menu named Stories of Taste & Passion.
The lushly landscaped, net-zero energy Singapore Pavilion showcases how the city state has overcome geographic limitations to become a green, liveable and resilient city of the future. Echoing Singapore’s ‘city in nature’ vision, the open-air pavilion unfolds across 1,500 square metres of soft tropical plant life, centring on three striking themed garden cones and capped by a solar canopy and hanging garden.
National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate each of Expo’s 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming. Each features a flag-raising ceremony at the Stage of Nations in Al Wasl Plaza, followed by speeches and cultural performances.
Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai invites visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.
