Celebrating its people and its progress, El Salvador marked its Expo 2020 Dubai National Day on Tuesday with a visit by the country’s First Lady and a packed programme of cultural activities, including a captivating ballet performance by the National Ballet of El Salvador.
HH Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and
Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline Group and Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Commissioner General’s Office, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed Her Excellency Gabriela Roberta Rodriguez de Bukele, First Lady of the Republic of El Salvador.
HE Rodriguez de Bukele, who began her impassioned speech by describing El Salvador as “a small country that dreams of being big” said: “I have always believed that El Salvador is like a big beautiful piece of woven fabric, made up of millions and millions of threads which come together, transform, grow and create wonderful, colourful patterns. El Salvador is like a loom where our ancestral roots interlace. We are a complex mixture of threads, roots, ways of thinking and ways of seeing the world. From these threads comes our most important quality – our people.
“We are the generation that has begun to change our course to go in the right direction in terms of access to education, peace, culture, progress, family, youth and the opportunities that are for everyone. We aren’t yet where we want to be, because our dreams are so big, but without doubt, we are making progress, and quickly. Thank you, Expo 2020 Dubai, for giving us the space to show who we are and what we are doing to build a new El Salvador.”
Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali said: “Through its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, El Salvador is sharing with the world its vision for the future, which centres around the creation of sustainable infrastructures that connect people with nature, as well as its plans to offers vast opportunities in the fields of sustainability and new technologies.
“The UAE’s relations with El Salvador are built on solid and strategic grounds of friendship and mutual respect. We hope to expand our relations, throughout Expo 2020 Dubai and beyond, and explore opportunities for further collaboration in areas of shared interest, such as tourism, logistics and sustainable development, for the benefit and welfare of our people.”
The National Ballet of El Salvador presented a charming performance themed on fabrics and textiles, one of the country’s largest exports.
The El Salvador Pavilion features a long tunnel with images of the country’s stunning natural attractions and its six key development projects, illustrated by a multisensory 3D immersive show. A series of transparent screens outline the sustainable steps that the nation is initiating, and also feature the country’s diverse wildlife.
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.
Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 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.
