By Han Sang-hee

The 2012 Yeosu Expo Korea is expecting a lot of interesting guests from all over the world, and among them is the esteemed yet mysterious United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Middle Eastern country may have captivated the world with its growing tourist business, oil refineries and futuristic ideas, but in the minds of average Koreans, it's still hard to say it has any particular presence.

The perfect opportunity to change that is with the upcoming Yeosu Expo. The theme "The Living Ocean and Coast" not only fits UAE's geographical and historical background, but it is also an important issue that the entire world needs to deal with.

Ibrahim Al Abed, director general of the National Media Council, a state-run news agency in the UAE, aims to showcase his country at a pavilion set at the event venue. On not his first visit to Korea, Al Abed had high hopes in bringing the nation closer to the Korean public and also the world.

"We want the Expo to speak about heritage but also our similarities with Korean history. We want to show how we are trying to maintain sustainable waters and the coastline," he said in an interview last week.

The pavilion will offer various content including high quality films, while seminars and workshops to discuss matters on sustainable ocean and energy will be organized for all participant countries.

Not only does the country intend to spread its innovative ideas to the local public, but it also hopes to learn from many other countries that are putting priority on protecting the ocean and coasts.

The UAE has been dependent on its surrounding seas for fishing, pearl fishing and trading for a long time. Considering its coast and islands as the "jewels in the crown" of the country, the nation has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to sustain its marine resources over the past years.

"We have a huge program with renewable energy. We believe oil is not an everlasting thing and also it can cause pollution in the environment. So we have been very keen in developing and expanding programs on using solar energy," Al Abed said.

And the UAE seems to be ahead of other countries in getting greener.

The Masdar City is a project an Abu Dhabi that will rely entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources, to become the world's first zero-carbon, car and skyscraper-free city.

"We hope to expand this and with Korea already well-developed in technology, and our two countries having strong relations in various aspects, we do hope to cooperate in the near future," he added.

For a country that highly respects its history and tradition, maintaining them is an important element in moving forward effectively. Al Abed agreed on the significance of tradition back home, and also recognized the similar interest Korea puts on its culture and tradition.

"A country that doesn't respect its past does not have a future. If you forget your past you become a nation with no identity," Al Abed said. "We live in one world and interact, but each country's people have their own tradition and culture. They should interact and benefit from each other," he added. Hopefully, the Yeosu Expo will provide the platform for such an endeavor.