Following the recent visit of Lebanon’s Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Abbas Hajj Hassan, to Qatar, Lebanon confirmed its participation in Expo 2023 Doha. Lebanon’s participation promises to bring both knowledge and entertainment. As the country with the highest proportion of arable land in the Arab world, Lebanon has already developed a number of innovative agricultural practices, including robotic and digital applications, an aqua-cultural farming system and advanced post-harvest infrastructure. Agricultural practices, “mouneh” – the traditional Lebanese custom of food collection and preservation, and a wide array of creative performances will all be features in the Lebanese pavilion at the Expo. “Lebanon – like other countries in the region – is suffering because of the drought crisis, which has been exacerbated by scarcity of groundwater and climate change effects”, said his Excellency the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan. “We are confident that Expo 2023 Doha will increase awareness of practical, long-lasting solutions to these global issues.” His Excellency also emphasised the long-standing brotherly ties between Qatar and Lebanon. “Naturally, the Expo will help things mature, and we hope it will mark the start and culmination of a brotherly cooperation”, he said. “Lebanon and Qatar are important partners, and we are happy to host the Lebanese pavilion at the Expo 2023 Doha”, added H.E. Ambassador Mr. Bader Al Dafa, Expo 2023 Doha Commissioner General. “We believe that Lebanon’s participation will spark further regional collaboration in agriculture and horticulture as Arab countries are facing similar challenges and are actively looking for efficient and innovative solutions to tackle them together”. Spanning a six-month period, from October 2nd, 2023, through to March 28th, 2024, Expo 2023 Doha will take place in the heart of Doha in Al Bidda Park, welcoming citizens and residents of Qatar, international visitors and high-level participants. Over 55 countries and organisations have already confirmed their participation in Expo 2023 Doha. Expo 2023 Doha will be the first A1 International Horticultural Exhibition to be held in Qatar, the Middle East, and North Africa. Organized and Led by the Ministry of Municipality, Expo 2023 Doha is conceived in line with the guiding principles of Qatar National Vision 2030 that puts environmental management and sustainable development at the heart of its mission. Running for 179 days from October 2, 2023 till March 28, 2024 and aiming to reach more than 3 million visitors, Expo Doha 2023 will offer guests with an opportunity to visit ornamental gardens, attend public debates, conferences, live shows and enjoy art and culinary performances in the dedicated area in Al Bidda Park spanning across 1.7M square metres and facing the azure waters of the Arabian gulf. This year’s Expo 2023 Doha works along the theme “Green Desert, Better Environment” with the aim to highlight and encourage sustainable innovation and reduce desertification. The topics of modern agriculture, technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainability will all feature. Under the auspices of the BIE (Bureau Internationale Des Expositions) and AIPH (International Association for Horticultural Producers), the exhibition will draw international visitors and organizers from 80 countries, as well as the national and international related Industries, Government entities and officials ýý(local, regional and international), Non-governmental organisations, Commercial affiliates; Sponsors, ýPartners, Suppliers, Media (local, regional and international) and national, regional, international general ýpublic visitors.ý. The theme of Expo 2023 Doha is “Green Desert, Better Environment” as it aims to encourage sustainable innovation and reduce desertification. It will inspire visitors to take part in the change through 4 sub-themes: Modern Agriculture Technology and Innovation Environmental Awareness Sustainability The BIE (The Bureau Internationale Des Exposition) is the Intergovernmental Organization in charge of overseeing and regulating all international exhibitions that last more than three weeks and are of non-commercial nature (“Expos”). Today, 4 main types of Expos are organized under its auspices: World Expos, Specialized Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano. BIE’s mission is to guarantee the quality and the success of these world events, protect the rights of their organizers and participants, and preserve their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. From the 31 countries that created the BIE in 1928, the Organization has grown to 170 Member States, as a result of the success and the appeal of Expos. The BIE Member States take part in all the decisions of the BIE, and they strive to continually improve the quality of Expos. The headquarters of the BIE are located in Paris. BIE is a key international stakeholder in EXPO 2023 DOHA. www.bie-paris.org AIPH is The International Association of Horticultural Producers is an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to promoting horticultural producers. AIPH aims to put flower, plant and landscaping services on a global agenda, with a vision to: Stimulate increased demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. Protect and promote the interests of the industry. Be an international hub for industry information and knowledge exchange. Lead best practice in ornamentals production. With a mandate agreed by an international convention, AIPH has been approving and regulating International Horticultural Expos, with BIE (www.bie-paris.org), since 1960. Enthusiasm for such Expos has continued to grow, with millions of people visiting Expos hosted all over the world.
Source: National News Agency-Lebanon