Work begins on Pakistan's Expo 2020 pavilion

Work has begun on Pakistan's Expo 2020 pavilion, according to Ahmed Amjad Ali, Pakistan's Consul-General in Dubai.

The project is estimated to cost $21 million (Dh77 million) and will be built in the Opportunity District of the Expo 2020 over 3,449 square meters of land.

The site will likely be retained after the event as a legacy and to show Pakistan culture.

A special section will exhibit prominent Pakistani women and tech entrepreneurs who have succeeded in different social and educational fields.

Sources closely associated with the project said the Pakistani pavilion has been designed by Pinchtech Engineering Consultants. It is also the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) consultant for this project.

Sources said Al Shafar General Contracting Co. LLC. Dubai has been appointed the main contractor for the project while Al Shafar United for Electro Mechanical Engineering LLC (ASU) has been named as the MEP contractor.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said valuable government properties will be sold for better utilization of funds on public welfare projects at Dubai Expo 2020 in order to attract foreign investment, including that of expats.

In October 2018, Pakistan had formally signed a participation contract with Expo 2020 authorities, with officials revealing that the pavilion will reveal the country's culture, investment opportunities, tourism potential and other aspects of the country.

Set to run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the six-month long expo will be the largest ever staged in the Arab world with more than 190 countries participating and 25 million people visiting the exhibition.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com