Switzerland celebrated its National Day today at Expo 2020 Dubai with a series of cultural activities, in the presence of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Confederation, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The president visited the Swiss, UAE and Leadership pavilions and had bilateral meetings with UAE representatives, including Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy. The presidential visit ended with a meeting with the pavilion’s partners.

Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Director-General of Expo 2020 Bureau, along with Najeeb Mohammed Al Ali; Executive Directors of the Commissioner-General’s Office of Expo 2020 Dubai, Marwan Obaid Al Muhairy, Sarah Mohammed Falaknaz and Mira Sultan Al Suwaidi, FNC Members, and Abdulla bin Shaheen, Senior Vice President, Commissioner-General’s Office, also attended the national day celebrations.

Sheikh Nahyan welcomed the Swiss delegation to the flag-raising ceremony at Al Wasl Plaza’s Stage of Nations and praised the strong relations between the UAE and Switzerland.

During his speech, the Swiss President said, “On the National Day of Switzerland at Expo 2020 Dubai, we stand together in Al Wasl Plaza, the heart of this impressive site, to honour and celebrate the first world exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa.

“Pulling off such a major event, which gathers people from all over the world, and lasts for six months, would be a major feat at any moment in time. But, doing so in a period of uncertainty, such as the last 18 months, is an incredible accomplishment. I wholeheartedly congratulate the UAE for making Expo 2020 Dubai a reality and thank the organisers for their sustained cooperation and kind support.”

Sheikh Nahyan said, “It pleases me to mention that Switzerland was the first country to confirm its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, back in April 2016, and the first to reveal its pavilion to the world. With a long history of participation, it is no surprise that Switzerland has won several awards for its pavilion’s architecture, exhibits and theme interpretation.”

He added, “The UAE’s relations with Switzerland date back to the early 1970s, during the time of the UAE’s late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Since then, our relations have flourished with cooperation across various fields. With an actively engaged Swiss Business Hub, the UAE is home to around 200 Swiss companies and Switzerland continues to be one of the most important trading partners of the UAE.”

The line-up of events featured Swiss artist Saype who unveiled his project “Beyond Walls” at al Forsan Park, a gigantic piece of land art, and the “Cirque au Sommet” an exclusive performance at Al Wasl Plaza and the Swiss Pavilion.

Manuel Salchli, Commissioner-General of the Swiss Pavilion and Chairman of the Steering Committee Expo 2020 Dubai, added, “Today is very special for us as we welcome our president to celebrate Switzerland’s National Day. It is indeed a great moment to bring Switzerland closer to the people of the UAE.”

The Swiss pavilion is located in the Opportunity District and offers an emotional journey through the country.

Visitors enjoy traditional Switzerland known for its magical landscapes and mountains through the exceptional “Sea of Fog” experience before discovering its innovative projects and global achievements in technology, education, sustainability, etc.

In collaboration with Swissnex and in line with the Expo 2020 Dubai’s thematic weeks, the Swiss pavilion is organising until March 2022 a series of talks, conferences, workshops and exhibitions around topics such as Urban and Rural Development, Tolerance and Inclusivity, Technology, Health and Wellness, among others.

Switzerland remains the most innovative country as per the Global Innovation Index 2021 – WIPO for the 11th consecutive year. Since 1st October, the pavilion has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors worldwide and is among the top six longest queues at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Swiss pavilion relies on a public-private partnership model with Schindler, Rolex SA, Switzerland Tourism, Clariant, Novartis, Roche, Nestlé Middle East and North Africa and KGS Diamond Group Ltd, and numerous suppliers.