At the height of the pandemic, I received an invitation from a management consultancy company to visit Dubai and help moderate a panel. The session was to coincide with the opening of Expo 2021 in October 2021 and was taking place inside the Expo compound. How could I refuse?
Nobody prepares you for the 35ºC+ heat! The sights and sounds of Expo are overwhelming in any context, and especially so in the humid heat of the UAE. Winter is bearable but autumn is still challenging, leaving me thankful most of Expo happened at nighttime.
Over a hunred countries presented their culture, heritage and values through the lens of what is permissable in the UAE, including a slightly censured David.
I was oficially in town to moderate a panel about public-private partnerships from a perspective of rapidly changing futures. The conference center was inside the Expo compound and a challenging walk in the excrutiating heat.
