The best pavilion

Dubai world expo part 3

“The greatest show on earth as the expo is marketed isn’t far from the truth”

I’ve spent many days systematically roaming through all the pavilions at expo 2020 Dubai “on my days off and after work” to assume that one can "been there done that" in a couple of visits is a misjudgement.

The question we ask each other is which is the best pavilion?

How does one rate them all?

I’ve divided my judgement in two groups:

Big pavilions: Countries that give the impression that they should know what they’re doing and seem to have huge budgets aimed at selling both themselves and their future capabilities.

Smaller pavilions: Countries that may not have the budget capabilities or resources to match the big spenders.

In the following list I’ve tried to be impartial and tried not to let my own opinions judge my perception, these are my opinions based on my experience at the time of my visit.

Some parameters “own observations” that have emerged during the last three months and have helped shape my opinions they are as follows.

• URL codes are all time consuming, if one is to load down and digest all URL codes at the expo then your visit will consist mainly of frustration and looking at your telephone.

• Architecture, there are many WOW pavilions here I don’t have the knowledge to judge and build an opinion about them. At the same time, it’s no good having a a WOW pavilion if you’re not communicating the thought process and its relativity. It’s almost like living in an avatar world.

• Oil, countries that are selling and marketing their oil heritage seem to have missed the fact that the whole world is moving on.

• Internal conflicts, civil wars, regional conflicts, and their financial victors inundate the worlds media, of the countries represented here in Dubai not one pavilion illustrates how innovative they have been or want to be, or to illustrate how they have solved their own solutions.

• Space, space may be very interesting, innovative, and future orientated, but at the same time I find the focus on it boring there are bigger issues here on earth than on Mars eg. Plastic waste.

• Environmental hypocrisy, whaling countries use the whale as an iconic environment icon, deforesting nations use palm oil production as environmentally friendly ect?

• Dictators, all the worlds’ dictators are here their ever-present portraits are looking over us.

• Tourism, I consider myself as a bit of a traveller still so it’s kinda like a green lite, many larger budgeters play the tourism marketing card, maybe they should’ve refocused on the innovative job at hand, for many smaller countries it’s still their ace and they must play it.

• Children, pitching a national focus is far from easy, the need for fun, interactivity and entertainment for adults and children still needs to be incorporated into the pavilion goals and presentation, we’re not all scientists.

• Food, an integral part of the national pride, culture & heritage, often a trade and representative focal point and just as often overlooked at the planning stage.

• An observation, French speaking colonies and countries rank higher “according to me” than their English or Spanish speaking counterparts?

• History, leaders, the emergence of nations is interesting there’s so much information to digest.

My layman’s list of must-see pavilions without any motivation is.

Best pavilion overall- Japan

Most interesting large pavilions, not ranked in order:

  • Germany
  • Pakistan
  • UAE
  • Netherlands
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Israel
  • Singapore

Most interesting smaller pavilions, not ranked in order:

  • Benin
  • Cambodia
  • Burkina Faso
  • Gabon
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Mali

My list, Point grading 1-5 with 5 being high.

  • Afghanistan             🇦🇫 2
  • Algeria             🇩🇿 1
  • Albania             🇦🇱 1
  • Andorra             🇦🇩 1
  • Angola             🇦🇴 2
  • Antigua and Barbuda     🇦🇬 1
  • Argentina             🇦🇷 1
  • Armenia                     🇦🇲 2
  • Australia                             🇦🇺 2
  • Austria             🇦🇹 1
  • Azerbaijan             🇦🇿 1
  • Bahamas                            🇧🇸 1
  • Bahrain             🇧🇭 1
  • Bangladesh             🇧🇩 2
  • Barbados                            🇧🇧 1
  • Belarus             🇧🇾 1
  • Belgium             🇧🇪 1
  • Belize             🇧🇿 1
  • Benin             🇧🇯 3
  • Bhutan             🇧🇹 2
  • Bolivia             🇧🇴 2
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina      🇧🇦 1
  • Botswana             🇧🇼 2
  • Brazil             🇧🇷 1
  • Brunei             🇧🇳 1
  • Bulgaria             🇧🇬 1
  • Burkina Faso             🇧🇫 3
  • Cameroon             🇨🇲 1
  • Cambodia             🇰🇭 3
  • Cape Verde             🇨🇻 1
  • Canada             🇨🇦        3
  • Central African Republic  🇨🇫        1
  • Chad             🇹🇩 1
  • Chile             🇨🇱 1
  • China             🇨🇳 1
  • Colombia             🇨🇴 3
  • Comoros                             🇰🇲 1
  • Congo DRC             🇨🇩 1
  • Congo republic of             🇨🇬 1
  • Costa Rica             🇨🇷 1
  • Cote d’ ivorie             🇨🇮 3
  • Croatia             🇭🇷 1
  • Cuba             🇨🇺 2
  • Cyprus             🇨🇾 1
  • Czech Republic     🇨🇿 2
  • Denmark                            🇩🇰 1
  • Djibouti             🇩🇯 1
  • Dominica             🇩🇲 1
  • Dominican Republic     🇩🇴 2
  • Egypt             🇪🇬 1
  • El Salvador             🇸🇻 1
  • Eritrea             🇪🇷 1
  • Equatorial Guinea             🇬🇶 1
  • Eritrea             🇪🇷 1
  • Estonia             🇪🇪 2
  • Eswatini             🇸🇿 1
  • Ethiopia             🇪🇹 2
  • Fiji                     🇫🇯 1
  • Finland             🇫🇮 1
  • France             🇫🇷 3
  • Gabon             🇬🇦 3
  • Gambia             🇬🇲 1
  • Georgia             🇬🇪 1
  • Germany                            🇩🇪 4
  • Ghana             🇬🇭 1
  • Greece             🇬🇷 1
  • Grenada                     🇬🇩 1
  • Guatemala                    🇬🇹 1
  • Guinea             🇬🇳 2
  • Guinea-Bissau     🇬🇼 1
  • Guyana             🇬🇾 2
  • Haiti             🇭🇹 1
  • Holy sea, Vatican             🇻🇦 1
  • Honduras             🇭🇳 1
  • Hungary             🇭🇺 2
  • Indonesia             🇮🇩 1
  • Iran                     🇮🇷 2
  • Iraq                     🇮🇶 1
  • Ireland             🇮🇪 2
  • Israel             🇮🇱 4
  • Italy                                    🇮🇹 3
  • Jamaica             🇯🇲 3
  • Japan             🇯🇵 5
  • Jordan             🇯🇴 1
  • Kazakhstan             🇰🇿 3
  • Kenya             🇰🇪 1
  • Kiribati             🇰🇮 1
  • Korea, republic     🇰🇷 3
  • Kosovo             🇽🇰 1
  • Kuwait             🇰🇼 1
  • Kyrgyzstan             🇰🇬 2
  • Laos             🇱🇦 1
  • Latvia             🇱🇻 1
  • Lebanon                     🇱🇧 1
  • Lesotho             🇱🇸 1
  • Liberia             🇱🇷 1
  • Libya             🇱🇾 1
  • Lithuania                            🇱🇹 1
  • Luxemburg             🇱🇺 3
  • Malaysia                     🇲🇾 2
  • Malawi             🇲🇼 1
  • Mali             🇲🇱 4
  • Malta             🇲🇹 1
  • Marshall Islands     🇲🇭 1
  • Mauritania             🇲🇷 2
  • Mauritius             🇲🇺 2
  • Mexico             🇲🇽 2
  • Micronesia             🇫🇲 2
  • Moldova                     🇲🇩 1
  • Mongolia             🇲🇳 2
  • Monaco             🇲🇨 1
  • Montenegro             🇲🇪 1
  • Morocco                             🇲🇦 2
  • Myanmar             🇲🇲 1
  • Namibia             🇳🇦 1
  • Nauru             🇳🇷 1
  • Nepal             🇳🇵 1
  • Netherlands             🇳🇱 4
  • Nicaragua             🇳🇮 1
  • Niger             🇳🇪 1
  • Nigeria             🇳🇬 1
  • North Macedonia             🇲🇰 1
  • Norway             🇳🇴 1
  • Oman             🇴🇲 2
  • Pakistan             🇵🇰 3
  • Palau             🇵🇼 1
  • Panama             🇵🇦 1
  • Papua New Guinea           🇵🇬 2
  • Paraguay                            🇵🇾 1
  • Peru                                    🇵🇪 3
  • Philippines            🇵🇭 1
  • Poland            🇵🇱 2
  • Portugal                    🇵🇹 1
  • Qatar            🇶🇦 1
  • Romania                    🇷🇴 1
  • Russia             🇷🇺 2
  • Rwanda             🇷🇼 2
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis     🇰🇳 1
  • Saint Lucia              🇱🇨 1
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines  🇻🇨 1
  • Samoa             🇼🇸 1
  • San Marino             🇸🇲 2
  • São Tomé and principe     🇸🇹 2
  • Saudi Arabia             🇸🇦 4
  • Senegal             🇸🇳 1
  • Serbia             🇷🇸 2
  • Seychelles             🇸🇨 1
  • Sierra Leone            🇸🇱 1
  • Singapore            🇸🇬 3
  • Slovakia            🇸🇰 1
  • Slovenia            🇸🇮 1
  • Solomon Islands    🇸🇧 1
  • Somalia            🇸🇴 1
  • South Africa            🇿🇦        1
  • South Sudan             🇸🇸 1
  • Spain             🇪🇸 3
  • Sri Lanka             🇱🇰 1
  • Sudan              🇸🇩 1
  • Suriname                            🇸🇷 1
  • Sweden             🇸🇪 1
  • Switzerland             🇨🇭 2
  • Syria             🇸🇾 2
  • Tajikistan             🇹🇯 2
  • Tanzania                              🇹🇿 1
  • Togo             🇹🇬 1
  • Tonga             🇹🇴 1
  • Thailand                     🇹🇭 2
  • Timor-Leste             🇹🇱 1
  • Trinidad & Tobago            🇹🇹 1
  • Tunisia             🇹🇳 1
  • Turkey             🇹🇷 1
  • Turkmenistan                    🇹🇲 1
  • Tuvalu             🇹🇻 1
  • Uganda             🇺🇬 1
  • Ukraine             🇺🇦 2
  • United Arab Emirates     🇦🇪 4
  • United Kingdom     🇬🇧 1
  • USA                                    🇺🇸 2
  • Uruguay                     🇺🇾 1
  • Uzbekistan             🇺🇿 2
  • Vanuatu                     🇻🇺 2
  • Venezuela             🇻🇪 1
  • Vietnam                     🇻🇳 1
  • Yemen             🇾🇪 1
  • Zambia             🇿🇲 2
  • Zimbabwe             🇿🇼 1
If you can make it to the world Expo in Dubai enjoy it. I still am. the following is my list.
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