There are no politics at the Middle East’s first world’s fair.

The setting is dramatic. Visitors passing from the harsh midday sun to the dim interior are met with slogans. “We believe that every human is part of the collective conscience,” reads a message on the walls of the Syrian pavilion at the Dubai expo. Why the Syrian government has spent years dropping bombs on many of those humans is not explained.

The $7bn fair is the first “World Expo” in the Middle East. Like much else in the United Arab Emirates (uae), which wants to attract visitors to revive its economy, the expo strives to gloss over politics. Exhibitors are able to present Panglossian visions of themselves to investors and tourists...

The Economist: At the Dubai expo, no one is eager to talk about reality