President Mohamed Irfaan Ali joined in Guyana’s Expo 2020 national day celebrations earlier as the South American nation celebrated with a flag-raising ceremony at Al Wasl Plaza.

Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, commissioner general of Expo 2020 Dubai, welcomed the president and his delegation.

Nahayan said: “In keeping with our themes at Expo, and as a strong believer in the importance of meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Guyana is heavily focused on making strong references to the opportunities provided by sustainable tourism.

“Guyana is a destination that boasts an irresistible combination of fascinating and breath-taking natural beauty, blended with a vibrant indigenous culture, rich heritage, and a hospitable and friendly people.

“The pavilion, under the theme ‘Home of nature, land of opportunities’, is an exhibition promoting Guyana as a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and eco-tourism.”

Irfaan Ali praised the UAE for its success in hosting Expo 2020 despite the global challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He also thanked the country for providing Guyana the platform to showcase its potential and the opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties, noting that Guyana is working closely with the UAE government and private sector to increase investments and business collaborations.

The president added: “Our potential is enormous, but that potential will remain enormous if we don’t implement programmes and policies.

“We are working at the government level and private sector level with the UAE and are looking to strengthen and grow our ties to ensure the fruits of the relationship will be there for us to see soon enough.”