The upcoming not-for-profit Dubai Expo 2020 that’s expected to have 25 million visits and 190 countries in participation had the United States of America in a fix after congress refused to pass a $60M bill to pay for its pavilion.
In a bid to raise funds for its pavilion in the highly anticipated Dubai 2020 Expo, the U.S sought funding from the private sector but failed to raise the required sum.
And guess who came to the rescue and helped the old’ U.S of A raise the required $60 million for its pavilion? If you said the UAE, well you guessed right because that’s what just happened.
After failing to raise the required funding for its participation in the upcoming Dubai 2020 Expo from the private sources, the United States on Friday announced that its participation in the event is secured anyways. The USA revealed that it had raised the money from an unexpected source, the United Arab Emirates.
Why is the Dubai Expo 2020 so significant?
The Expo has been promoted as an avenue to promote the unity of the world and showcase culture, arts, and talents in the rich country. 190 countries already signaled their attendance, and the United States staying absent from the event risks losing face to China who would continue to grab every opportunity to grow its influence around the world.
To the UAE, having the United States in attendance will help signal to the world that it’s embracing modernity, especially given that the monarchy-led country is facing criticism from the rest of the world for its poor treatment of human rights.
The UAE Lobbys Washington
For the UAE, the United State’s absence in the Dubai 2020 Expo is not on the table. After facing criticism from the rest of the world for its role in human rights abuse and intervention in Yemen and Lybia, the UAE would need some form of endorsement from a liberal and forward-focused country that only the United States can offer it.
“US participation at Expo 2020 is valuable on several levels as it provides an unparalleled opportunity to promote both US commercial interests and public diplomacy efforts,” UAE lobbyist Hagir Elawad of UAE Strategies wrote in an email to unidentified “colleagues” as the US Congress considered authorizing federal spending for a pavilion. “The US must be present.”
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