Dubai Expo 2020, part of World Expos held every five years, has been the most awaited global event of the year, especially since the outbreak of Covid-19. Attracting scores of visitors from the world over, the Pakistan Pavilion inaugurated by President Arif Alvi, in particular, has seen a variety of tourists taking keen interest in what Pakistan has to offer.
The Pakistan Pavilion, designed by one of the most eminent architects of Pakistan, Rana Rashid, has already won a spot among the Top Ten Pavilions at the Dubai Expo 2020, securing the fourth position. The uniqueness of the design lies in the fact that Rana Rashid has flawlessly transformed architecture into a work of art since the overall landscape has assumed the form of a sculpture. As stated by the concerned sources, Pakistan Pavilion is part reflective and part printed surface providing the visitors multiplicity of views.
Each part of the Pavilion gives a different multidimensional look to it as the gradient subtly changes along the way. The Pakistan Pavilion is split into six sections. Building blocks of the Pavilion exterior are identical yet they vary in size by millimetres and colour to symbolize the diversity of Pakistan.
Dubai Expo 2020 that commenced on October 1st is being held for six months and would conclude on March 31 next year. The government of Pakistan has divided the participation of all the provinces over the period of these six months. The first province to exhibit at Dubai Expo 2020 was Punjab. Among a number of cultural activities, Punjab also presented its ICT and entrepreneur landscape on the global canvas. Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) with the support of the government of the Punjab showcased Punjab’s Startup Ecosystem at the Dubai Expo 2020 under the theme of ‘Startups & Innovation’.
The delegation led by Punjab Higher Education and IT Minister Raja Yassir Humayun included PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor along with Director General Sajid Latif and the team. The delegation successfully executed multiple activities that mainly included ‘Panel Discussion on Startup Ecosystem’, ‘Panel Discussion on South Asia’s New Hub of ICT – Punjab, Pakistan’, ‘Startup Moot’, ‘Seminar on Showcasing Strengths and Opportunities in ICT Sector of Punjab’, and an ‘International Business Conference’.
With the Minister Higher Education and IT Raja Yassir Humayun as the key speaker at the panel discussions, PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor, PASHA Chairman Badar Khushnood, CEO Infotech Naseer Akhtar, IBEX Managing Director Nadeem Elahi, Founder and CEO Katalysts Labs Jehan Ara, Managing Partner Global Semiconductor Group and other experts from the IT industry were also among the panelists.
Some 20 startups from Punjab participated in the Expo. These startups were selected through careful evaluation by IT experts of the industry. The startups had initially registered themselves for the spot on Startup Punjab portal, which was developed by Punjab IT Board.
Startup Punjab portal is a part of the Startup Punjab initiative of the Punjab government that aims at forming a bridge between Pakistani startups and international stakeholders under the vision of ‘Invest in Punjab, Buy from Punjab and Work for Punjab’. The Startup Punjab portal was also officially launched during the International Business Conference at the Dubai Expo 2020.
Dubai Expo 2020 has given the local startups and businesses the global opportunity to connect with the world as well as develop business with the Pakistani diaspora across the UAE. To further consolidate the support of the Pakistani diaspora in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Punjab IT Board signed two memorandum of understanding (MoUs) in Dubai. The first MoU was signed with the Pakistan Business Council Dubai, a non-profitable organization working under the patronage of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry UAE. The second MoU was with the Pakistan Overseas Community Global, representing the overseas Pakistanis in the world and having its central secretariat in London.
As Minister Higher Education and IT had stated, Dubai Expo 2020 has given Pakistani startups and the IT industry the opportunity to show their potential and skills to a global audience. This will help in attracting foreign investments to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pakistan.
Dubai Expo 2020 is an opportunity for the world to ‘rediscover Pakistan’s culture of hospitality based on historical and religious traditions’. It has also opened the window for cultural exchange activities and events. Termed by many visitors as a “game changer”, the Pakistan Pavilion made headlines in the international media. The Pakistan Pavilion, in addition to showcasing its IT and entrepreneur eco-system, is treating the visitors to the range of Pakistani cuisines, art, music and lifestyle that best depict Pakistan’s cultural and ethnic diversity.
