Roland Busch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, visited Expo 2020 Dubai on Monday, where he met partners and customers, inspected the Siemens technology that underpins the site’s digital infrastructure, and explored pavilions.

“I’ve visited the site many times during construction and was confident of what it would become, but I’m still struck by the splendid and vibrant environment that Expo 2020 Dubai has created,” Busch said. “I’m proud of what Siemens and Expo have accomplished here. Together, we’ve built a large-scale, digitally connected community that can provide a real solution to the challenges of our ever more urbanized world.”

Busch met with Expo officials and visited Expo’s Mobility pavilion as well as country pavilions of the United Arab Emirates, China,Egypt, the U.S. and Germany, among others. He participated in the opening of the 21-meter high, carbon-fiber gates at Expo’s Sustainability Portal. And he joined a panel discussion with Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE’s Minister of State for Advanced Technology, and Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, at the Siemens customer experience center at Expo.

“Our strategic partnership with Siemens, which was announced following my visit to Munich last month, will accelerate the digital transformation of the UAE’s industrial sector and is an important milestone in our journey towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Minister Al Amiri said. “At a time when industry is transforming faster than any period in history, partnerships such as these hold the key to unlocking a new era of smart industrial growth.”

The UAE has unveiled ambitious plans to accelerate the development and diversification of its economy in the runup to its 50th jubilee celebration earlier in December. During the panel discussion, Busch said projects such as Expo 2020 Dubai and the roadmap to transform industries in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology demonstrate Siemens commitment in helping the UAE pursue its long-term strategy for sustainable development.

As the Premier Partner for Infrastructure Digitalization at Expo 2020 Dubai, Siemens has co-created a blueprint for future smart cities. The company has digitally connected more than 130 buildings at a purpose-built site that’s twice the size of Monaco, making Expo a showcase for smart technologies that can make cities more efficient, sustainable, safe and comfortable.