After 182 days of innovation, culture and networking, Expo 2020 Dubai comes to end. The Portugal Pavilion bids farewell after surpassing 800,000 visitors in what was the first world exhibition in the Middle East and the biggest global event since the onset of the pandemic.

Under the motto “Portugal, a world in one country”, the Portugal Pavilion engraved in the memory of its visitors the image of a diverse and inclusive country, which combines its secular history with an inspiring vision of the future, and stands out for its unique offer: from tourist destinations to culture, from science to entrepreneurship, from innovation to gastronomy.

During the six months of Expo, there was no shortage of artistic diversity in the Pavilion’s agenda: from the traditional sounds of Fado and the Portuguese Guitar to Cante Alentejano, from Joana Vasconcelos’ modern artwork to the unique performances of popular groups Pauliteiros de Miranda and Caretos de Podence.

In addition to cultural events, the Pavilion promoted dozens of economic initiatives, which demonstrated the country’s full potential as an investment destination, as well as the innovation of Portuguese companies and the quality of their products and services. It also highlighted several strategic sectors for the Middle East, including: Information Technologies, Construction, Home and Design, Fashion and Jewellery, Agroindustry, Tourism, Energy and Environment, Health and Wellness and Cultural and Creative Industries.

Together with associations and business entities, various regions and municipalities from north to south, from the mainland to the islands, promoted the diversity of the Portuguese territory and the very best the country has to offer.

“The overall assessment of the Portuguese participation is very positive. Portugal highlighted its presence in this exhibition with a Pavilion that drew a lot of interest and attention, and that is reflected in the number of visitors, which exceeded all expectations. Also worth noting are the many institutional and economic contacts we established over the past six months, which demonstrate the interest in Portugal and the willingness of Portuguese companies to do business in this region of the globe with immense potential”, said the Commissioner-General of Portugal for Expo 2020 Dubai and Chairman & CEO of the Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency (AICEP), Luís Castro Henriques. “We believe this participation was a success and will bring a world of opportunities to the country, significantly increasing Portugal’s notoriety in the Emirates and throughout the region”, he added.

For Portugal’s Deputy Commissioner-General, Francisca Guedes de Oliveira, “Portugal’s National Day was, without a doubt, the highlight of the Portuguese participation in this World Expo. In addition to an economic seminar for investors, in which we publicized new innovative projects and the competitive state of the economy, our National Day had a very strong cultural component. We took the opportunity to maximize the presence of the Portuguese diaspora in the United Arab Emirates and bring a bit of Portugal to those who are far away”.

Special moments were also held in tribute to the Portuguese legacy in the world, such as the Lusophonia Festival – a celebration of the Portuguese language with various artistic performances from Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking community – and the commemoration of the 500^th anniversary of the First World Circumnavigation initiated by Fernão de Magalhães, with the inauguration of an urban art sculpture by Portuguese artist Bordalo II, the “Magellanic Penguins”.

Another of the successes of the Portuguese participation was the Pavilion restaurant, Al-Lusitano, which proved to be a true showcase of Portuguese cuisine and became a regular reference in Expo’s Best Restaurant lists.

The Portugal Concept Store also planted the seed of the Portugal Brand in the Middle East, promoting an exclusive and sophisticated offer of national products from 40 Portuguese brands, chosen by an independent curator, representing 170 products from the most varied sectors, from Fashion to Gastronomy, Home & Decoration, Personal Care, Toys, among others. During the Expo operation, the Portugal Concept Store made more than 3 thousand sales to visitors of different nationalities.