Queen Rania Meets with the Jordan National Committee for the Hannover World Exposition

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) With five weeks until the opening of the World Exposition in Hannover, the Jordan National Committee for the Hannover World Exposition has wrapped up its preparatory work here in Amman and is heading to Germany to put the final touches on the Jordan pavilion.

During its final meeting, Chairman of the Committee Mr. Akram Abu Hamdan on Wednesday briefed Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, honorary chairperson of the Jordan National Committee for the Hannover World Exposition, on the latest developments of the preparations for the largest cultural celebration of the new millenium.

The exposition is set to begin on June 1. Both His Majesty King Abdullah and Her Majesty Queen Rania are expected to attend the official opening of the Jordanian pavilion on August 11. Queen Rania had laid the foundation stone for the Jordanian pavilion at the Hannover World Exposition site in September 1999.

In line with the Queen's suggestions, the Committee has set up an investment promotion unit in the Jordanian pavilion with the aim of luring potential investors during the event which is expected to draw 40 million visitors from around the globe.

The main thrust of Jordan's participation at the event is to present the contemporary face of the country to the world with its rich cultural heritage, and its many tourism attractions.

His Majesty King Abdullah is expected to officially open Jordan Day with an inaugural address. A seminar on August 11th entitled 'The Legacy of King Hussein: Vision for the Middle East' will also be attended by 20 global figures who will speak about the late King and his vision, as well as his numerous contributions to Jordan and the world at large.

The Jordan National Committee for the Hannover World Exposition brings together over 15 representatives from the public sector, media, banking sector, as well as others from the private sector. It also has five branch committees: the media, cultural programs, financial management, tender and purchases, and the display objects committee.

The national committee has also brought in the expertise of university students, school children, artists and sculptors from across the Kingdom to create a three-dimensional mosaic, which will be the main focus of the two-dunum pavilion set up as a contemporary archeological dig.

Jordan's participation at the exposition, which will take place from June 1-October 31 2000, will also include a conference and a seminar program under the theme, "Seven days in the Life of Jordan" - in conjunction with the Global Dialogue program hosted by EXPO 2000 - as well as a shop and a cafeteria offering Jordanian cuisine and products.

At the end of the exposition, the pavilion will be returned to Jordan and reconstructed as a tourism site in a public park in Amman to stand as a permanent representative of the Kingdom's participation in the millennial event.