Israel will take part in Expo 2020 Dubai, having accepted an invitation from the UAE to participate in the global event.
In a Tweet, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed its acceptance, adding that: “This is the latest World Expo that Israel has participated in, and we look forward to sharing our innovative spirit and the advances our entrepreneurs and innovators are making in the various fields such as water, information and medical technologies.
“Expos are global gatherings where people from around the world come together to celebrate ingenuity and apply it to shared challenges. We are excited to be a part of that common endeavor.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Tweeted his own message of support for the move, claiming it represented an “expression of the rising status of Israel in the world and region”.
An official Expo spokesperson stated on Friday that all 192 countries in the world had been invited to take part in next year’s event.
Their statement read: “We have invited all countries in the world without exception, in line with our commitment to making Expo 2020 Dubai a truly international event and platform for all of humanity.
“For more than 170 years, World Expos have been apolitical events focused on furthering humanity for the common good through innovation, cultural exchange, creativity and collaboration. We are proud to continue that tradition.”
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Expo 2020 Dubai expects to attract 25 million visitors during its six-month run from October 2020 until April 2021.
Over recent years Israel has become closer to its Arab neighbours. It already has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and has developed closer ties with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman.
