Dubai Expo organisers congratulated by President Ramkalawan |19 April 2022
President Ramkalawan holds the gold award in the presence of SNICHA secretary general David André, PS for culture Cecile Kalebi, deputy general commissioner of the Seychelles pavilion Galen Bresson, and director Maria Azemia (Photo: Thomas Meriton)
Members of the Expo organising committee from the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts paid a courtesy call on President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House last Thursday afternoon.
This follows Seychelles’ successful participation at the Dubai Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was opened on October 1, 2021, and ran until March 31, 2022. The Seychelles pavilion won the gold award for best sustainable district interior design, with Cambodia taking the silver and Zimbabwe the bronze.
The visit to State House therefore was for the deputy general commissioner of the Seychelles pavilion Galen Bresson, and director Maria Azemia to present the gold trophy to President Ramkalawan and to discuss with him our country’s participation in the expo.
They were accompanied by the secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage, and the Arts (SNICHA) David Andre and principal secretary for culture Cecile Kalebi.
President Ramkalawan praised the team for their hard work which has resulted in Seychelles winning this award.
“I believe that the Expo was great exposure for you all who participated. You have indeed made Seychelles proud of such achievement. Indeed, the work does not stop here, we now need to see how we can continue to make the world know what Seychelles is all about, its culture and heritage, and to continue to push forward the many agendas that we as a country can continue to advocate; sustainability, the blue economy, tourism, the green economy among others,” said President Ramkalawan.
The expo was one of the world’s biggest fair staging more than 30,000 events in 180 days by 190 countries across 96 locations. The theme for our sustainable pavilion was 'Preserve Nature’ that was exposed and celebrated through our Creole culture. The presentation of the sustainable district interior design gold trophy to our country was held at the end of last month during the closing of the expo in Dubai in which other winners for the opportunity and mobility category pavilions received their awards.
After meeting with President Ramkalawan, Mr Bresson said the President was very proud of the prestigious trophy which marks the country’s achievements at the expo and it (the trophy) will remain at State House to be exhibited to dignitaries and other visitors.
Speaking on the country’s participation at the expo, Mr Bresson stated that it has surely played an important role in the number of visitors who have been coming to Seychelles recently. He added that the country will see more benefits in the tourism sector because of the expo including several investors who have shown interest in investing in the country.
“Yes, the investors are looking for investment opportunities but first and foremost they will be here on holiday with their families and that will be of great benefit to the tourism sector,” said Mr Bresson who noted that after attracting the attention of many at the expo, the country has now been invited to attend other expos by other countries.
Patrick Joubert