Israel will convey messages of openness and co-operation with its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion.
Inspired by an open tent concept, Israel’s pavilion will be open from end to end and feature seven gates that visitors can walk through as they climb a slope that forms the roof of the main arena below.
The internal sides of the gates will have LED screens where information about Israel and its culture will be projected.
Underneath, the main arena will tell the story of Israel’s history, heritage, culture and its people.
We wanted to transmit that we are an open country, we are part of the region and we are embracing everyone
"We are going to take the visitors on a voyage of Israel, showing them the diversity of the people and the various ethnic groups in Israel," Elazar Cohen, Israel's Expo 2020 Dubai commissioner general, told The National.
The pavilion's theme, Journey to Tomorrow – displayed on its logo on the building in a combination of Hebrew and Arabic languages – will form the basis of its plan for the six months, where the intent is to forge relationships and create new economic opportunities.
“It’s the only pavilion that you can see through to the horizon,” Mr Cohen said.
“You can see the horizon. You can see the future. It's an invitation for everyone to join us to join together towards a future, a good future that the region has thanks to the Abraham Accord.”
Mr Cohen said Israel received the invitation in April 2019, more than a year before the signing of the Abraham Accord on September 15, 2020.
“It is not a simple decision to invite Israel to attend in an Arab country for six months in one of the biggest events in the world and for that we are grateful to the government of the UAE and to the organisers,” Mr Cohen said.
He described the Abraham Accord as an “historic agreement" that will be hugely beneficial.
“Not only on the bilateral level of UAE, I think they have an immensely positive influence in the region and even beyond," Mr Cohen said.
“These agreements created many frameworks for the region. We would like to use Expo 2020 as a platform to pour content into these agreements, in the economy, investments, culture, and academy [universities]."
Since the Abraham Accord, bilateral trade has soared, reaching Dh1 billion ($272.3m) by January this year. Mr Cohen sees Expo as an opportunity to grow that further.
"Israel is known as an innovative country. I think that we can join our strong elements with whatever the UAE has to offer, and the UAE has a lot to offer," he said.
“Expo is only a small phase and an important platform, but I'm sure that there will be a lot of co-operation events before during and after the Expo period.”
Mr Cohen said the design of the pavilion is based on the tent of Abraham, which was open to all four sides. The intention is to convey Israel's key messages, the first of which is openness.
“We wanted to transmit that we are an open country, we are part of the region and we are embracing everyone,” Mr Cohen said.
The second message is that Israel is an integral part of the region with a desire to “deepen and widen our presence here”, he said.
The final message is to collaborate and co-operate and help to “create synergies for people in the region”.
The pavilion focus will be on Israel's expertise across a variety of industries and to connect with other nations taking part.
“We are going to show in our pavilion all kinds of possibilities of opportunity co-operation in many sectors – in food security, in water, in the protection of the environment, in cyber, in smart mobility and smart energy – all the challenges that humanity is facing today.
“We would like to join our knowledge with the knowledge that exists here and the entire world.
“I think that we can together unite and invest in a common future and learn that what unites us is much bigger than what divides us. This is one of the messages we want to pass to our visitors.”
With six flights a day now operating to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he expects Expo to encourage more visitors to come from Israel for the event.
“There is a great interest in Israel to visit the UAE, both Abu Dhabi and in Dubai. It's a new destination. It's an Arab country, many of the Israelis have Arab origins and they don't have many Arab destinations to visit and now the UAE is open to them, and they are very much eager to come and visit.”
Last month, fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated to its worst level since 2014. The 11-day conflict killed scores of people, caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.
Mr Cohen said the conflict did not have any impact on its plans for Expo.
“Life is composed of many verticals. Some of them are not that positive, some of them are very positive. Expo is concentrating on the positive agenda and we are going to focus also on the positive agenda.
“We're not going to single ourselves out. So, the events are events, but we are focusing on Expo and the positive results of Expo.”
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Upcoming games
SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Supercharged%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20400hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20430Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh450%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
