Slovenia officially takes over its pavilion at Dubai Expo Dubai

The minister said at the ceremony that "Slovenia will show know-how, innovation and energy at the Expo". "I'm very happy that the plans we had set already in 2016 are coming to fruition. We will thus crown our export efforts at the largest Expo so far," Počivalšek said about the exhibition. The minister believes that, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dubai Expo will be a new entry point for the promotion of Slovenia's economy and economic cooperation with the world.

"The pavilion itself, which is a true green oasis, will certainly attract a lot of looks and attention ... Slovenia is in dubai to show the world its know-how, innovation and energy. the pavilion will be home to our economy for at least six months."

The 1,500 square metre pavilion is a venue that combines the features from Slovenia's promotional slogan at the Expo - Green, Creative, Smart. It is built from wood, has green facade and is surrounded by water, expressing three main natural resources of Slovenia - wood, green environment and water. It is located in the part of the venue dedicated to sustainability at the very entrance to the Expo complex, which is an additional advantage.
As part of the three-day visit, Minister Počivalšek met Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, and Emirati Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri. To the latter, Počivalšek presented the volume of trade between Slovenia and the UAE.

"In the first ten months of last year, we recorded a 5.6% growth in trade in goods to eur 70.7 million, of which eur 68.6 million was Slovenia's exports."

The minister said that one of the goals of Slovenia's appearance at the Dubai Expo was to establish better bilateral relations and means of cooperation. Počivalšek also said that strengthening bilateral cooperation was important from the aspect of post-pandemic recovery, with Slovenia having drafted an extensive programme for aid and investments in the economy. Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri said he saw opportunities for cooperation with Slovenia in particular in high technology, investments and food production technologies.