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Recent Visitors
UAE Pavilion is one of the most popular pavilions
2010. 13 July
The UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2010 Shanghai has maintained its position as one of the most popular pavilions at the huge EXPO event, with long queues as the site opens and remained until closing.
(wam.ae)
With waiting times of more than two hours to enter the pavilion and limitations on the availability of special access, the challenge to actually penetrate the sand dune-shaped structure and to enjoy the exhibition within has eluded all but the most persistent of visitors, including many national and international journalists who have assumed that they would be easily able to 'jump the queue'.
"We do welcome bonafide journalists and media reporters to come and see our shows", commented the Pavilion's Commissioner General, Salem Al Ameri, "but we have been literally assailed by people who will do almost anything to avoid queuing, including presenting themselves as members of the media. This means that we have had to restrict our 'VIP' channel to prearranged visits or to those journalists whom we can verify as genuine." The problem is not restricted to the UAE Pavilion although it is particularly acute there as a result of the pavilion's high popularity. One consequence of this situation is that there are very few accurate media reports of what visitors will find when they enter the UAE pavilion.
News reports have in fact ranged from mild inaccuracies to wild speculation that bears almost no connection with the facts and are clearly written by people who have not entered the pavilion. "We do have a great show," Al Ameri commented, "It really tells our story in an engaging way and audiences give spontaneous applause with many asking us questions about how we achieved our various special effects. It is such a pity that more members of the Press have not been able to gain access and to see for themselves", he added.
One journalist who did make the challenging journey, and who queued for over two hours to enter the UAE Pavilion, has written about his experience in the Canadian Press.
In a major article on the EXPO John Boudreau commented on the UAE Pavilion's high impact movies. Listing the UAE Pavilion as one of the most popular at the entire EXPO he praised "a Stephen Spielberg-like movie with flying animated children tells the history of this small oil-rich Gulf nation..." Boudreau's appreciation is mirrored by the mostly Chinese audiences, some of whom revisit the pavilion with different members of their families, not put off by the long wait and clearly mesmerised by the engaging media productions that have created a 'powerful word of mouth' reputation for the Emirates' pavilion. One that has startled many people at this World Exposition, including the UAE team itself.
Source: www.wam.ae