Why Is the UAE Govt Paying $60 Million to Finance the U.S. Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020?

After struggling to raise the required $60 million, the State Department announced Wednesday that the United States would have a pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai after receiving funding from the UAE government. 

The Expo gives the American private sector a “golden opportunity” to pursue business partnerships and new markets with visitors from around the world, the departmen's statement added.

Dubai is pouring billions of dollars into Expo 2020, as it marks the first time a country in the Middle East hosts the fair. The expo starts in October and runs for six months. 

Translation: “The State Department said in a statement that the Emirati government is going to pay the $60 million needed to set up the pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.”
The United States’ participation had been in doubt after Congress declined to authorize taxpayer dollars to make up for the shortfall, triggering criticism that the United States risked losing clout to China and other rising powers if it skipped a global event that organizers expect to attract 25 million visitors and 190 participating countries. 

Translation: “It’s because their project failed.. They’d do anything to please America.”

The UAE’s sponsorship raises a number of questions, such as why American businesses are not paying directly to participate under the umbrella of the U.S. pavilion. Also, why will some leading U.S.-based brands be able to participate independently from the U.S. pavilion?

The funding also raises the question: now that the UAE has sponsored the United States, who will it be up to to decide which companies and products will be featured in the pavilion, and whether the Emirati government could have a say in the content that’s being showcased.

Translation: “The United States is the world’s greatest nation, and it's begging other countries to build its pavilion?”

The United States’ participation in the fair remains a matter of controversy, as it shows support to the UAE’s plan to use the expo to showcase an image of modernity and tolerance amid continued criticism of regional interventions in Yemen and Libya.