Dubai Expo 2020

What is the World Expo?

Before we talk about the Dubai Expo 2020, let’s take a quick history tour of the World Expo. The World Expo (a.k.a World’s Fair, Universal Expo, or International Expo) is a large international exhibition to showcase the achievements of nations.

Ever since the first World Expo held in London in 1851, the World Expo has been hosted in several other cities across the globe; the most recent of these being the World Expo 2015, held in Milan, Italy – Themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” – which received over 21 million visitors.

Other categories of Expos like the Specialized Expos, and the Horticultural Expos, are held in between the World Expos – the most recent of these is the one held in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2017 – Themed “Future Energy” – and it received close to 4 million visitors from all around the World.

An inter-governmental organization, the Bureau International des Expositions – BIE (a.k.a International Bureau of Exhibitions) was established in 1928 to serve as a sanctioning body for World Expos. This organization was established to oversee the calendar, the bidding, and the selection of World Expos among other things.

Four cities had lodged bids to the BIE for hosting the 2020 World Expo, and on 27th November 2013, the BIE voted and selected the host city for the Expo 2020 as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Dubai Expo 2020 was originally scheduled to open on 20th October 2020, but the opening date was changed to 1st October 2021 due to COVID-19 impacts and restrictions to movement, which further impacted Expo 2020 construction site completion; the Expo 2020 is expected to run for a period of 6 months; and will officially close on 30th March 2022.

The main site of the Dubai Expo 2020 will be a 438-hectare area located between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Image Source: AP News

The theme of the Dubai Expo 2020 is – Connecting Minds, Creating the Future – and this has been divided into three sub-themes – Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity.

The site of the Dubai Expo 2020 is easily accessible from international transit hubs; with direct access to Dubai World Central (DWC), a short distance to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) and Dubai International Airport (DXB), and in close proximity to Jebel Ali Port.

The Masterplan is organized around the central plaza called ‘Al Wasl’ (meaning “Connection”), enclosed by three large pavilions, each one dedicated to a sub-theme. The Masterplan also features sustainability at its core. The Dubai Expo 2020 aims to generate 50% of the site’s required energy from renewable sources.

The Dubai Expo will strive to protect and preserve the environment for future generations by doing more with less.

The Theme Song.

The Dubai Expo 2020 Theme Song titled “This is our time”, performed by Hussain Al Jassmi alongside two female singers, Almas and Mayssa Karaa.

Dubai Expo 2020 Theme Song – This is our time!

Expo 2020 – Effects and Aftermath.

Dubai is expected to experience a population increase post Expo and with an estimated 25 million expected visitors. Dubai is already making provisions for the population increase.
The hospitality industry is expected to increase the number of hotel rooms by almost 40%, and a lot of this expansion and refurbishment works are already ongoing.

Over 80% of the resources used during Dubai Expo 2020 will be reused after the Expo. A boost in the economy is also expected as a result of the diversification plans that will be implemented during and after the Expo.

Also, the gardens, winding pathways, and shaded areas surrounding the main pavilion will all become a destination for kids as a hub for scientific explorations and education after the Expo.

It has also been said that visitors at the Dubai Expo 2020 will get the chance to experience a simulation of the much anticipated “Virgin Hyperloop One”. The experience will be similar to the one that will be used in the actual commercial operations and will demonstrate how it would feel to move people and goods at unprecedented levels of efficiency and speed.