Israel participates in Dubai’s Expo 2020

By Yousef Ibrahim

JERUSALEM (AA) - For the first time, Israel will participate in Dubai’s Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), set to open later on Thursday.

The Israel Hayom newspaper said the Israeli participation in the event will be the biggest for Tel Aviv in an Arab country.

According to the newspaper, Israel's pavilion in the world's largest fair is designed to be an open curtain and simulates the diversity of the Middle East cultures in terms of hospitality, traditions and customs.

The pandemic-delayed Expo 2020 is expected to be the world's biggest event since the outbreak of the coronavirus. It is held for the first time in the Middle East and is expected to attract 25 million visitors over six months of its opening.

The event is considered the third largest event in the world after the World Cup and the Olympics.

The first Expo was held in London in 1851, while the last one was held in the city of Milano in Italy in 2015, which also included Israel's participation.

On Sept. 15, 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored agreement to normalize their diplomatic relations. The UAE was joined by three other Arab states – Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan – in normalizing relations with Israel in what came to be known as the Abraham Accords. For Palestinians, the move was a “stab in the back.”

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara