Construction works are progressing on the Canada pavilion at Expo 2020 and are expected to reach completion towards the end of August 2020.

Themed the 'Future in Mind', the pavilion will highlight key sectors such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, advanced technologies, clean energy and agriculture.

Canada's pavilion will be located in the expo's sustainability district.

Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the federal department responsible for promoting international trade, awarded the $13.8m design, build and operation contract to a consortium led by Ontario-based EllisDon Construction.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the pavilion took place on 25 November 2019.

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Toronto-based Moriyama & Teshima Architects is behind the pavilion's design, which is said to be inspired by Canadian landscapes and Arabic architectural elements. The design is also intended to represent "the strong cultural and economic ties between Canada and the UAE". Moriyama & Teshima Architects previously designed Dubai's Etihad Museum.

Other partners involved in the design, build and operation of the pavilion include Lord Cultural Resources, Hatch, Kubik, Thornton Tomasetti, NGX and Cisco.

Veronica Silva, interim commissioner general for Canada at Expo 2020 Dubai, says the country's participation in the event is in line with its trade diversification strategy. "More than 150 Canadian companies from various sectors are present in the UAE, mainly to serve as a base for their operations in the region," she says.

The UAE is a key trade and investment partner for Canada, and a major gateway for Canadian exports into the GCC, Middle East, North Africa and India. The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, and its 16th-largest export market globally. Canadian merchandise exports reached $1.6bn in 2017.