By Abdul Wajid Khan ISLAMABAD, April 05 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 presented a soft image of the country to the world, which helped promote tourism. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Tourism Azam Jamil said in an interview that the Pakistan pavilion highlighted great potential of the country in tourism, culture, industrial and other sectors. It provided great information about Pakistan to tourists from around the world. He said the government was preparing multiple projects to promote tourism in the country. To tap the huge potential in tourism sector, “Brand Pakistan” initiative will be launched soon at national and international level under which a comprehensive policy will be formed to promote tourism. Pakistan Pavilion achieved prominent position at the expo and around 10,000 people visited the pavilion on a daily basis. Azam Jamil congratulated the management of Pakistan Pavilion at the expo for crossing the milestone of one million visitors. Pakistan has attached high importance to the Dubai Expo to attract investment in its special technology zones, industry and other economic sectors, and to boost tourism. Speaking to WealthPK from Pakistan Pavilion at Dubai Expo, a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce recently said Pakistan fully focused on boosting tourism and trade besides attracting investment in the special technology zones, industry and other economic sectors. He said after the expo’s formal inauguration on Oct. 1, 2021, Pakistan Pavilion received an overwhelming response from the visitors, which was beyond his expectations. “Thousands of people visited our pavilion every day with a keen interest. It was amongst the top five most visited pavilions of around 192 countries,” he added. The official said major Pakistani companies from private and government sectors participated in the special events. Special business to business meetings were arranged to promote trade and investment in the country. Sharing his views about the expo on the social media, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said it shaped a new era for Pakistan’s tourism, culture, and investment. “The pavilion showcased our theme ‘Pakistan's Hidden Treasures’ to the world. I have always believed that Pakistan has a beautiful soul that has largely been misrepresented. However, this presented us with an opportunity to show the real Pakistan to a global audience,” he said. Pakistan Pavilion hosted a series of events to explore opportunities in tourism, industrial and other economic sectors. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) directed relevant ministries and departments to follow comprehensive strategies to showcase trade and business opportunities at the expo in order to attract maximum international investment. According to official details, throughout the six months of the expo, the Pakistan Pavilion hosted various national days and honour days, cultural celebrations, business programmes and entertainment activities. Multiple business events were arranged in which government organisations, private companies and small and medium-sized enterprises highlighted their opportunities under the “Invest in Pakistan Campaign”. In October, a series of events including briefing and panel sessions, seminars, and lectures were arranged on the country’s electric vehicle policies, special technology zones, socio-economic development, marine resources potential, coastal tourism, adventure tourism, investment in industrial sector and Gwadar Development Authority (GDA). The Pakistani pavilion also continued to highlight history, culture and the beauty of Balochistan for the entire month of October. Under the expo, governments of all provinces including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir arranged events to showcase their potential in different areas to attract investment. The facade of the Pakistan Pavilion was designed by internationally acclaimed artist Rashid Rana. The pavilion comprises eight key spaces depicting the country's history, religious diversity, culture, landscape, and wildlife, among others. The Dubai Expo 2020 was held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" and sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The expo was originally scheduled from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 and delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Afzaal Mahmood told media that Pakistan had signed more than 100 MoUs worth billions of dollars at the expo. Twenty-five of these, worth $2 billion, were signed by the government of Gilgit-Baltistan at the GB Investment Conference, which took place on the sidelines of the expo. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government signed some 40 MoUs worth $8 billion, while the Sindh government also signed six initial agreements.