Expo 2020 now lies in our past - but its message belongs to the future

It is sometimes said that there are “decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”. There is no doubt that we are living through a period of rapid change, in which we can feel the ground shifting beneath our feet.

In the UAE, we are no strangers to this experience. In the space of a generation, our founding fathers and their successors created the foundations for our country’s meteoric rise from one of the least to one of the most developed countries in the world: building security, prosperity, international influence and soft power.

Wise leadership has transformed our prospects as a people and made our land a magnet of opportunity for all nationalities who live and work in our country or seek to partner with us today.

Because of this experience, we know that it is possible to unite people of different backgrounds around common goals and to create the momentum needed to improve the conditions of a society and of humanity. We have seen this with our own eyes: it is our national story.

In my book When Ground Shifts: The Story of Dubai Expo: Creating Hope in Times of Upheaval, I recount our country’s successful bid to host the first World Expo ever held anywhere in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia.

I describe how the UAE won the bid against much larger and more established nations, the innovative approach we pioneered to staging the Expo and the adversities we collectively overcame, including the global coronavirus pandemic.

The book is not the final word on the subject of Expo 2020. Many more volumes could be written. But it is my humble attempt to shine a light on an incredible decade, and to honour Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

He led our country to stage the most inclusive Expo ever seen – with equal participation for all countries, and respect, dignity and opportunity afforded to all. He ensured that we left behind a city that is a hub for innovation, enterprise and sustainable living. And he empowered the Expo 2020 team to serve our country in this way, inspired by his example and values.

The book is written in my name, but it is the story of his vision that inspired a nation and brought together millions of people. It is the story of our partners across the UAE and the world who made Expo 2020 possible. It is a story of complexities unravelled and possibilities unlocked.

It is a tale of people at their best: innovative, creative, collaborative, practical and motivated. In short, it is about seeing the world in a new light and living and working together differently. By capturing the lessons of this experience, I hope we can help to inspire young leaders, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers in our own country and beyond.

The message of Expo 2020 is that extraordinary things can and do happen in places that have enlightened leadership. There is nothing that humans cannot achieve if we have passion, commitment and a relentless determination to deliver against all odds and in an exceptional way.

We learnt through Expo 2020 that during moments of upheaval, it is particularly incumbent upon us – as individuals, as nations, as humanity – to try to shape the developments for the better. We cannot sit and wait in hope that the stars will align; we have to make the best of our present reality.

We have the capacity to chart our path, and we often underestimate the scope we have to improve our collective circumstances. We can be steeped in realism but still choose to find a way forward that is built on hope and faith in human agency.

We were proud to hand the World Expo baton to Japan, and, when Expo 2025 opens in Osaka next month, we are excited to see the new innovations it will bring.

Expo 2020 is now in our past, but its message belongs to the future. It belongs to all children, and to everyone working to improve their society or country or seeking to make positive strides for the common good.

It stands as testament to the fact that if we can hold on to a vision that is based on equality and partnership between nations and apply ourselves to solving collective problems, we can succeed in building the trust needed to manage the complexities of the modern era.

Believing that things cannot change for the better only ever holds us back. Positive change – for individuals, communities and the world – doesn’t lie in a single act, but in the culmination of everything we do. And when obstacles and difficulties seem insurmountable, we can take comfort in the fact that the world – like the ground beneath our feet – is constantly shifting.