Expo 2023 Doha Commissioner-General Bader Al Dafa (second left) and Ambassador of Italy to Qatar H E Paolo Toschi (left), along with other officials during the ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: The First Stone Ceremony, held at the Expo House located at Al Bidda Park, was graced by esteemed dignitaries, government officials, and climate enthusiasts.
Among the distinguished guests included Ambassador of Italy to the State of Qatar, H E Paolo Toschi, who marked the commencement of Italy’s participation in Expo 2023 Doha with a traditional “first stone” ceremony. Also in attendance are Italian Trade Commissioner, Paola Lisi; Expo 2023 Doha Commissioner-General, Bader Al Dafa and International Coordination Department Director, Khalid Al Sindi, along with a number of attendees from both sides.
The occasion marked the importance of Italy’s participation in Expo 2023 Doha.
This ceremony establishes Italy’s participation in the first inaugural A1 International Horticultural Exhibition in Qatar, the Middle East, and North Africa. Aligned with the Expo 2023 Doha theme “Green Desert, Better Environment,” Italy reiterates its dedication to modernizing agriculture, advancing sustainability, and fostering technological innovation toward Qatar’s climate strategy of driving progress and enhancing global food security.
In his keynote address, Expo 2023 Commissioner General Bader Al Dafa emphasised the significance of Italy’s participation: “We are excited to welcome our Italian partners to the Expo 2023 in Doha, Qatar. Italy is known for its progress towards realising sustainable production to meet the global food needs. As our partners, we believe their participation will add immense value and allow visitors to gain meaningful insights towards a pressing global issue such as climate change”.
Under the theme “Italia, The Garden of the Future,” the Italian pavilion at the exhibition will display the brilliance of Italian cutting innovation, agricultural technology, and bio-solutions aimed at extreme and dry climates.
Ambassador Toschi said: “Italy’s presence at Expo 2023 Doha marks our commitment to its mission, which includes managing dry lands, fighting hunger and promoting sustainability. Doha will host the first horticultural Expo in the MENA region, whose substantial and geographical focus is central to our foreign policy, as demonstrated by the “Development and Migration Conference” that was hosted in Rome on July 23 under the chairmanship of our Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.”
The envoy added that this event “will be followed by the 2023 UN Stocktaking Moment (July 24-26) in Rome, which will focus on the efforts of the international community to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
“These,” he added, “are the values that inspired Expo throughout its 170-years old history, where Italy always played a central role in strengthening the spirit of friendship among Nations. We aim to increase, even more, our commitment to the Expo agenda by hosting in Rome the 2030 Universal Exhibition. We hope that the Eternal City will pick up the baton of the glorious history of Expo, of which Doha 2023 will be a part.”
Its active participation reaffirms Italy’s dedication to advanced 4.0 agricultural technology, incorporating drones, sensors, IoT, Big Data, and artificial intelligence.
Italy’s participation in Expo 2023 Doha highlights the long-standing relationship between Italy and Qatar and reinforces Italy’s commitment to global environmental sustainability, technology innovation, and food security. Themed “Green Desert, Better Environment,” Expo 2023 Doha will bring together nations, organisations, and individuals from across the globe to explore new environmental and horticultural solutions.
