Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works and Chairman of the National Media Council (NMC) welcomed the winning by the UAE of membership of the higher steering committee of the International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012 (Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea), scheduled in Yeosu city, South Korea from May 12 to August 12, 2012.

“Winning the membership of this committee furthers the prominent stature the UAE enjoys at Expo events and reflects the success of the UAE Pavilion which latest presence was at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai in China, ” Sheikh Hamdan said.

Hailing the continuous support extended by the UAE’s wise leadership to efforts to promote relations with South Korea, Sheikh Hamdan said the membership reflects the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He said the UAE’s win which was announced in Seoul last Wednesday at a meeting of commissioner generals is attributed to the success made by the National Media Council at international expositions.

The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2012 reflects the UAE leadership’s interest in enhancing the strategic relations between the UAE and South Korea.

Hailing the continuous support extended by the wise leadership of the UAE to efforts to promote relations with South Korea, Sheikh Hamdan stressed that the UAE s membership of the steering committee of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea is in realization of the strategic partnership and relations between the two friendly countries.

He attributed the winning a of a seat on the steering committee which was announced in Seoul last Wednesday at a meeting of commissioner generals to the series of successes made by the National Media Council at previous World Expo editions.

The winning The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2012 reflects the UAE leadership’s interest in enhancing the strategic relations between the UAE and South Korea.

He reiterated the National Media Council s keen interest in the UAE s participation in Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea through a national pavilion is based on the wise leadership s interest in furthering relations between the two friendly countries.

“Participating in this exposition backs joint efforts by the UAE and South Korea to promote inter-cultural exchange between their two peoples and to promote each other s culture, heritage and achievements made throughout the past three decades,” Sheikh Hamdan further said.

“Given that the oceans occupy about four-fifths of our planet’s surface, we need to think more in terms of Planet Ocean’ rather than Planet Earth.”

Describing the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2012 as a “ground-breaking effort to make a lasting contribution to Planet Ocean and to the role of World Expositions”, Sheikh Hamdan noted that “the UAE is treating the event, both as an opportunity to showcase the country’s heritage and achievements within the marine-related sphere and as a chance to share with other countries the UAE’s experiences connected with preservation of coastal environments in a rapidly developing setting”.

Participating in the forthcoming Expo 2012 Yeosu will add to the presence of the UAE Pavilion at previous World Expositions in Hanover, Lisbon, Seville, Syracuse and Shanghai.

The UAE’s marine-related economy, encompassing fisheries, industries, trade, tourism and leisure, accounts for a very significant portion of GDP. Archaeological evidence confirms that for millennia the sea provided a corridor for wide-ranging cultural communications and trade, together with essential food supplies and valuable commodities such as pearls. The pattern of human settlement in the land now occupied by the UAE has been one in which the coast has been of prime importance with nearly all the country’s cities situated next to the sea.

Reiterating NMC s interest in continuing to participate in World Expositions to showcase the UAE s achievements and introduce them to the peoples of the world, he noted that the emirate of Abu Dhabi , before the establishment of the Federation, participated in the 1970 World Exposition in Japan.

The UAE will continue to participate in the World Expositions in order to make more achievements and take more opportunities to showcase the UAE s significant progress in various spheres, attract more tourists, businesses and investments and to expand friendship and relations with the rest of the world.

The representative of Denmark was elected as the chairman of the higher steering committee of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea at the first meeting of the body last Wednesday in Seoul. The meeting saw discussions of the ongoing preparations for the forthcoming event which theme is “The Living Ocean and Coast” with subthemes of “Preservation and Sustainable Development of the Ocean and Coast,” “New Resources Technology,” and “Creative Marine Activities.” The meeting also discussed reports by the organizing committee on matters such as telecommunications, technology, procedures of entry, safety, transport, residence, tourism and accompanying commercial activities.

Participants also discussed the Yeosu Declaration which will be issued at the conclusion of the event.

The higher steering committee of held its first meeting of Expo 2012 Yeosu will coordinate with the organizing committee to ensure commitment to standards and procedures set by the International Exhibitions Bureau (French: Bureau International des Expositions, BIE). Delegations of participating countries then visited the venue of the exposition in Yeosu city to view preparations for the event and the ongoing construction work.

The UAE was among the first twelve countries to receive a license to build its own national pavilion at Expo 2012 Yeosu.

The UAE’s marine-related economy, encompassing fisheries, industries, trade, tourism and leisure, accounts for a very significant portion of GDP. Archaeological evidence confirms that for millennia the sea provided a corridor for wide-ranging cultural communications and trade, together with essential food supplies and valuable commodities such as pearls. The pattern of human settlement in the land now occupied by the UAE has been one in which the coast has been of prime importance with nearly all the country’s cities situated next to the sea.

Today’s coastal developments in the UAE range from magnificent urban leisure areas such as Abu Dhabi Corniche and numerous marinas to man-made extensions of the natural coastline in mega projects such as The Palm Jumeirah. Hotels, resorts and other leisure facilities are under constant development and improvement, supporting a steadily rising tourism industry.

The UAE Pavilion will entertain visitors in an engaging manner whilst informing them of some of the major issues that have been faced, and how these have been tackled. State-of-the-art interactive displays will present short movies on key subjects of natural interest, such as sharks, turtles, coral reefs, fisheries, mangroves and dugongs. Meanwhile a special six-minute film will take visitors on a quick tour of some broader topics as seen through Emirati eyes, including six new movie-chapters’ titled: Celebrating Marine Life’; A Living from the Sea’; Connecting the World’; Energy for the Future’; ‘Enjoying the Sea’ and Open to the World’.

Filming for these and other content at the UAE Pavilion began in early January and is now at its height. In cooperation with key organizations such as the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi; Emirates Marine Environmental Group; Jumeirah Hotel Group; Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority; Tourism Development Investment Company (TDIC); Abu Dhabi Police Helicopter Wing and others, the country’s marine zone has rarely if ever received so much media attention.