The New Zealand Pavilion at Expo 2020 has conducted a traditional dawn ritual to dedicate the pavilion’s ‘mauri’, or life-force, as the event gets underway.

The ceremony, performed by Whanganui Iwi tribal members who travelled from New Zealand, began outside the pavilion with the blowing of the conch shell, followed by calls of acknowledgement of interconnectedness with the natural and spiritual realms.

There were chants and incantations throughout the exhibition space, as the group walked from room to room.

Lending a local touch to the ceremony, Emirati cultural troupes welcomed New Zealand to Expo 2020.

The New Zealand Pavilion is inspired by the Maori value of ‘kaitiakitanga,’ which celebrates the kinship between life, people and the environment.

Expo 2020 Dubai, which runs from until the end of March, is the biggest cultural gathering in the world.

The event is dedicated to bringing together people, communities and 192 nations to build bridges, inspire action and deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges.