The UAE’s Expo bid took sail in the Caribbean this week, as True North docked in Havana, Cuba. The 70-foot sailing boat, which set out last summer, is currently circumnavigating the globe to raise awareness for the UAE’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.

Having started its voyage in Europe, True North’s multinational crew connects with communities in each port, giving people of all ages a chance to share their own experiences of how the Dubai Expo theme and subthemes resonate with them locally and impact their daily lives.

In the Bahamas, True North’s last stop before reaching Cuba, the crew learnt about the Bahamas National Trust and the Government of The Bahamas multi-year project aimed at developing a sustainable land use plan for the Exumas, a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands, which they hope could be adapted for other islands in The Bahamas.

Commenting on True North’s journey to share the UAE’s Expo vision around the world, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE’s Minister of State, in her capacity as Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, said: “Given the UAE’s proximity to the sea, sailing plays a proud part in our heritage. We are very pleased that True North has arrived safely in Cuba, as we keep track of her journey across the globe to support our country’s bid to bring the world together in 2020. True North’s voyage reflects the UAE’s Expo bid theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” taking the Expo messages of unity and innovation to her ports-of-call across the globe.

Dubai, UAE, is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the World Expo 2020. The winner will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 163 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions, the inter-governmental organisation responsible for selecting World Expo host cities.