Over a million people have already visited the Czech pavilion at the EXPO in Dubai

“Luckily, thanks to the partners of the national exposition we could give souvenirs to both of the visitors,” said Jiří František Potužník, the Commissioner General, with a smile. “But given how happy we were, we would have probably gifted even a ten-member family – one million visitors were our goal, and we managed to reach it more than two weeks before the end of the EXPO, despite the effects of the pandemic of Covid-19”.

Carlos Casta and Elisabet Madrigal from central Spain said they came to the Czech pavilion because they heard that the gross domestic product of the Czech Republic – which they had visited five years ago – surpassed the Spanish GDP per capita and that the exposition is based on innovative technologies. The 28-year-old engineer especially liked the energy exhibit from the Řež research centre, and the 29-year-old neurologist was intrigued by the Glasio acoustic panel wall made from recycled crushed Czech crystal, which she would like to get for her living room.

“Personally, I am a supporter of nuclear energy, and the Czech pavilion is the first one in which I’ve seen its future,” said Carlos Casta as his girlfriend nodded in agreement, “the minireactors cooled by salt can be a solution for higher energy safety, but also European energy independence”.

The weekend attendance of the national pavilion, over which, in addition to the Czech flag, the Ukrainian flag has been flying since 24 February, reaches almost 40,000 people and exceeds 80,000 per week. In addition to the general public, media, and members of royal families, there is also an increase in interest from businessmen. Apart from those in Dubai, Khalid Ali Alturki, chairman of the leading Suadi Arab investment consortium KAA & Sons, also visited the exposition at his own request, focusing on innovative technologies.

“Even though the architects Jan Tůma and Jindřich Ráftl designed the pavilion as open and without any corridors, queues still form outside over the weekend, and people even wait in line for places in the restaurant,” says the marketing and communications manager Lenka Maršálková about the high attendance, “and there is still the National day at the end of the EXPO, during which we expect an even higher interest in the national exposition”.

The National Day of the Czech Republic will take place at the EXPO on March 21, 2022 - the first day of spring and ten days before the closing of the gates of the first World Fair in the Arab world. The performances of Czech artists, which will be spread throughout the exposition area and converge at the Czech pavilion, will be accompanied by a business delegation led by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation.