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In a moment charged with history and symbolism, Rashid Al Nuaimi, former Foreign Minister of the UAE, and the Commissioner General of the Abu Dhabi Pavilion at Expo 1970 Osaka, on Monday returned to the city to visit the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025.
Over five decades after leading the UAE’s very first participation at a World Expo, Al Nuaimi’s visit marks a powerful homecoming and a tribute to the country’s enduring commitment to global dialogue and collaboration.
Rashid Al Nuaimi was received by Shihab Al Faheem, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Together, they toured the Pavilion, themed “Earth to Ether”, where Al Nuaimi experienced first-hand the pavilion’s immersive, multisensory journey through the UAE’s story, from its cultural heritage to its pioneering innovations across space exploration, healthcare, and sustainable technology.
During his visit, Al Nuaimi also greeted the pavilion’s 46 youth ambassadors, comprising 24 Emiratis, 20 Japanese, and 2 Japanese-speaking residents. Chosen through a highly competitive selection process, the youth ambassadors play a key role in conveying the pavilion’s narrative, serving as a bridge between the UAE’s story and the Pavilion visitors.
“Expo ‘70 was an opportunity and a chance to showcase what we had, and also to demonstrate our resilience in working towards the future… It was also part of our Founding Father late Sheikh Zayed’s vision and his boundless ambition for development.” said Al Nuaimi. “The Japanese still remember us after these fifty five years, and the trust we placed in this cooperation was well-founded. And for the past 55 years, every single day, we have added to this relationship. Our collaboration today is deeper, broader, and more beneficial. That’s why we want this collaboration to continue, and for the trust between the two peoples to deepen, and that everyone who has something to contribute can add it.”
The UAE’s participation in Expo 1970 was a defining milestone. It marked the country’s pre-union debut on the world stage, offering a glimpse of a nation in formation.
Al Nuaimi’s visit to the 2025 Pavilion brought that journey full circle, creating a poignant moment that bridged generations of leadership, ambition, co-creation, and storytelling.
Drawing inspiration from the UAE’s cherished date palm tree, the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 reinterprets design possibilities for traditional Emirati areesh architecture using agricultural palm waste, fused with masterful Japanese woodworking expertise. At its heart stands a striking oasis of 90 date palm rachis columns, soaring up to 16 metres.