Dignitaries and representatives of sponsors at the book launch event.
Doha, Qatar: The organising committee of Expo 2023 Doha, under the patronage of H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Municipality and Chairman of the National Committee for Hosting Expo 2023 Doha, launched a book titled Expo 2023 Doha on Friday in commemoration of the first A1 International Horticultural Exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Expo 2023 Doha Commissioner Ambassador Bader bin Omar Al Dafa represented H E the Minister of Municipality during the event.
The book details the agricultural conditions of the countries participating in the exhibitions as well as the history of the event, dating back to 1960, when the first Expo for horticulture was launched in the Netherlands, and up to the latest horticultural Expo in China in 2019, among others.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Al Dafa said that the launch of the book was coming at an auspicious time, with only two days away from the opening of the largest international horticultural exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa for the first time.
“I am also pleased to witness with you the launch of a book that sheds light on the countries participating in this global event. The book also narrates in an interesting way the history of the Expo in its previous sessions,” he noted.
Ambassador Al Dafa appreciated the initiative of Abdullah bin Salem Al Sulaiteen, Chairman of the book’s Editorial Board, in completing the book. “What we know about Mr. Al Sulaiteen is his passion for agriculture and his perseverance in local agricultural production, which made us enjoy an advanced position in food security indicators at the global level,” he added.
While presenting the book, Al Sulaiteen said, “The State of Qatar has been presented with a remarkable opportunity to host an unprecedented event, Expo 2023 Doha, marking the first occurrence of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. This event serves as a significant platform for participating nations to showcase their agricultural capabilities and effectively channel these resources towards combating the pressing issues of desertification, drought, and food security challenges.” He added that the editorial board of the book firmly believes that the publication of such a book would be a valuable addition for all individuals interested in this exhibition, including officials and visitors.
“Furthermore, it would serve as a catalyst for further discussions aimed at addressing the pressing issues of desertification, drought, and the reclamation of arid lands,” he noted. Those in attendance at the event were a host of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives in Qatar, including Ambassador of Türkiye H E Dr. M. Mustafa Göksu, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands H E Ferdinand Lahnstein, Ambassador of Sweden H E Gautam Bhattacharyya, Ambassador of Pakistan H E Muhemmed Aejaz, Ambassador of South Africa H E Ghulam Hoosein Asmal, Ambassador of Mexico H E Guillermo Ordorica, Ambassador of Malta H E Simon Pullicino, Ambassador of Croatia H E Drago Lovrić, Ambassador of Sri Lanka H E M Mafaz Mohideen, Ambassador of Mozambique H E Isac Mamudo Massamby, Ambassador of Angola H E Antonio Coelho Ramos Da Cruz, Ambassador of Sudan H E Ahmed Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Hassan Siwar Al Dahab, Ambassador of Niger H E Abdoulkarim Soumana, and other dignitaries.
