Amid turmoil, Afghanistan pavilion arrives at Dubai’s Expo

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Afghanistan’s pavilion has finally arrived at the first world’s fair in the Middle East a week after Dubai’s Expo opened without it. The Taliban’s lightning speed takeover of Afghanistan, the country’s presence at the fair was uncertain. The previous government had organized the pavilion, and the new Taliban rulers are preoccupied with an economic meltdown. An independent Afghan antiques dealer based in Vienna has stepped in, shipping family heirlooms and other artistic artifacts to Dubai’s Expo. Mohammed Omer Rahimy hopes that the temporary six-month exhibit that arrived earlier this week can transcend the current political turbulence and provide a sense of Afghanistan’s rich history and culture.