Singapore unveiled a new Dendrobium orchid hybrid named after the historic Expo 2020 Dubai. The new bloom, named Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai, was the main highlight of the recent Singapore Day festivities at the World Expo — a day that recognizes the city-state’s participation in the global event.
Singapore’s Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean officiated at the ceremony. The orchid celebrates Singapore’s unique culture and commemorates the nation’s strong bilateral relations with the UAE.
Teo said: “As small states and hubs in our respective regions, Singapore and the UAE have benefited from a close friendship and partnership that have continued to strengthen over the years. The UAE is Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East. We enjoy strong people-to-people ties, with the UAE hosting the largest number of Singaporeans in the region. Our two countries are also strongly committed to creating a more sustainable future. It is fitting that we are unveiling the Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai orchid today, to mark not just the flourishing ties between our two countries, but also our shared love and respect for nature.”
A delicate bouquet of gracefully twisted golden yellow petals with light purple veins, the Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai has been specially selected to complement the colors of the Expo 2020 Dubai logo. It celebrates the coming together of nations from all over the world to forge stronger partnerships and co-create a brighter future. The orchid has been created by the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The Dendrobium Expo 2020 Dubai is being displayed at the Flower Cone at the Singapore Pavilion together with two other prominent orchid hybrids — the Dendrobium Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, which is named after UAE’s Mother of the Nation Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak; and the Aranda Lee Kuan Yew, which is named in honor of the late Lee Kuan Yew, the founding prime minister of modern Singapore and the architect behind Singapore’s transformation into a premier tropical “Garden City.”
Capping off the Singapore Day festivities, the Singapore Pavilion also played host to several exciting activities, providing visitors to the expo with a taste of Singapore’s cultural offerings.
This includes performances at Al-Wasl Plaza, digital visual art showcases as part of Singapore Art Week, a presentation of local hawker fare, as well as an international dialogue on the future of travel.
