US unveils pavilion for Dubai's Expo 2020

DUBAI, Nov 18 (AFP): Star-spangled and featuring a SpaceX rocket module, the US pavilion at the gigantic Expo 2020 Dubai site was handed over Wednesday less than a year before the delayed launch of the world fair.

The six-month mega event, a milestone for the wealthy Gulf emirate which has splashed out $8.2 billion on the eye-popping venue in the hope of boosting its soft power and resetting the economy, will open its doors in October 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic forced a one-year postponement.

But despite the delay, armies of workers in protective masks were still racing to complete dozens of pavilions among the 192 participating countries, including Israel, which signed a normalisation agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September.

The United States pavilion will "showcase our values", US ambassador to the UAE John Rakolta Jr. told journalists during a handover ceremony.

The theme of the silver building draped in stars is "life, liberty and pursuit of the future", he said.