He visited some other pavilions, and also met with representatives of the International Association of Horticultural Producers and the Minister of Construction, Infrastructure and Transport of Serbia. The main event was Rural areas in 2040: Addressing global challenges of rural areas with Smart Villages, a conference on the global challenges of rural areas and smart villages.

Minister Jože Podgoršek started his visit to Dubai in the morning with a tour of the Sustainable City. This is an excellent example of using integrated systems as part of a sustainable approach to living in an environment that is self-sufficient in certain aspects, with the aim being to become largely self-sufficient and environmentally friendly. The Minister then visited the EXPO 2020 world’s fair, where he was first received at the Slovenian pavilion. After a tour and presentation, the Minister expressed his excitement over the wonderful presentation of Slovenia with an exceptional pavilion in such an important venue as the EXPO Dubai, which is a hub for casual visitors as well as for many business opportunities. He added that the pavilion provides an excellent environment and support for many business and other meetings and tourist experiences.

The Minister also visited some other pavilions and met with representatives of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) as part of his visit to the Myanmar pavilion. They acquainted him with activities in the field of horticulture, promotion of global awareness and promotion of 'green cities or destinations'. During his visit to the Serbian pavilion, he also met with the Minister of Construction, Infrastructure and Transport of Serbia, Tomislav Momirović. At the meeting, they noted their nations’ excellent bilateral relations and presented activities related to the accession to the EU. Minister Podgoršek presented cooperation in the field of the agriculture, forestry and food industry, with both ministers also highlighting the impact of climate change and the necessary technological and infrastructural adjustments.

The main event was Rural areas in 2040: Addressing global challenges of rural areas with Smart Villages, a conference on the global challenges of rural areas and smart villages. The event was organised by the office of Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovič, together with the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, Internationalisation of Foreign Investments and Technology (SPIRIT Agency) as part of Slovenia's appearance at EXPO 2020 Dubai. The event was also attended by EU Commissioner and Vice-President of the European Commission Dubravka Šuica, who is responsible for the long-term vision of rural development.

In his address, Minister Jože Podgoršek highlighted the fields that can improve the quality of life in rural areas. "The quality of life in rural areas is connected to the preservation of the agricultural cultural landscape and natural heritage while maintaining an appropriate level of digitalisation, mobility, access to public services and job creation." He added that digitalisation of rural areas is one of the key tasks of the new common agricultural policy for the 2023-2027 period. He pointed out that new technologies will help to improve production processes and produce cheaper and higher quality food in the light of sustainable development of its production. "We therefore understand smart villages as rural communities that use innovative solutions to improve their resilience, while building on local advantages and opportunities. It could be said that smart villages are an appropriate tool for promoting digital and social transformation in rural areas and as such can be identified as key to transforming the future of agriculture, forestry and food."

Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovič said that smart villages are people. "Smart villages speak about how to use technology so that people benefit from it and live better". He asserted that there is no need to fear new technologies and social innovation. "It is something that needs to be accepted and used in reshaping and co-creating a new future in which we not only survive, but thrive. Our mission is nothing less than to change our way of life into a sustainable lifestyle in which we are in touch with the natural environment and food production and live our lives consciously, with the aid of smart technology that helps guide our daily behaviour towards a healthy and sustainable life." Vice-President of the European Commission Dubravka Šuica, who is responsible for the long-term vision of rural development, noted that innovation, technology and digital solutions can really make our villages smart and significantly improve the lives of the people who live in them. "By doing this, we will also fulfil our collective responsibility to ensure that no one is abandoned, wherever they live".

As part of the Smart Village concept, we can include several areas and activities, such as building next-generation broadband connection, "smart agriculture" with automation, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, adequate health care, social innovation such as services for the elderly, promotion of social inclusion in rural areas, care for the elderly and disabled, and assistance for people with special needs. It also includes construction of infrastructure, preservation of agricultural and forest landscape, preservation of village architecture, rural natural and cultural heritage and customs, cultural and social life in rural areas, environmental protection, ecological awareness, circular economy and mobility in rural areas. Smart villages also include food self-sufficiency and the supply of nearby towns and self-sufficiency in renewable energy sources, while tourism and innovative entrepreneurship and the promotion of the sharing economy in rural areas is also an important part.