Tunisia joins drive to put youth at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai

DUBAI, 3rd May, 2017 (WAM) -- The Republic of Tunisia, a key advocate in improving youth education across the Arab world, has today become the latest country to formally announce its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

Beji Caid Essebsi, President of the Republic of Tunisia, confirmed the countrys official participation in a letter to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Youth are at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, and as the innovators and thought leaders of tomorrow, they have a central role to play in creating a better future.

Tunisias participation in Expo 2020 Dubai reflects the countrys desire to take advantage of opportunities for cooperation and partnership, especially those aimed at empowering young people.

With this in mind, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates share a common goal of improving youth education, with Tunisian authorities welcoming the implementation of the Arab Reading Challenge in October 2015, the worlds largest project aimed at encouraging more Arab students to read.

The initiative was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid earlier that year to encourage more than one million students to read 50 million extracurricular books every academic year.

With a total population nearing 183 million, cumulative GDP worth US$688 billion, significant natural resources, and a young and ambitious population, the North African region will play a leading role in shaping the future of the African continent. The UAE already has a well-established trade partnership with Tunisia, which resulted in a total trade value of AED1.3bn in 2015.

Tunisia joins a growing number of countries that have either publicly or privately confirmed their participation in Expo 2020 Dubai. More than 180 nations are expected to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai, which opens on 20th October, 2020 and closes six months later, on 10th April, 2021.