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The Dubai World Expo is kicking off in a few days, and expectations are high; the United Arab Emirates spent $6.8 billion and is expecting 25 million attendees. The event, the first world's fair be held in the Middle East, will open its doors to exhibitors from almost 200 countries on October 1st after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what to expect.
What's In A Name?
Have you ever wondered why the event will be called Expo 2020, even though it's happening in 2021? The participating countries expressed the need to postpone the expo from its original 2020 date to overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This marked the first time a World Expo has been postponed instead of being canceled.
But despite being postponed, organizers decided to keep the name Expo 2020 for marketing and branding purposes.
We've seen this with other events which have kept a bygone year in its name despite being postponed. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games kept their name despite being held in 2021. Likewise, UEFA EURO 2020 retained the '2020' in its name to honor the original vision of the event.
What’s In A Theme?
There is a lot of thought and planning that goes into selecting a theme for a world-class event like this. The UAE decided on a theme called 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'. The expo will also have three important sub-themes: opportunity, mobility, and sustainability, each with a pavilion.
The Expo is organized around a central plaza called Al Wasl, surrounded by three large thematic districts. Each one is dedicated to one of the sub-themes of Expo 2020. Each participating country has selected one of the three sub-themes and will have its pavilion displayed in the corresponding district.
What Each Pavilion Will Offer
The sub-themes connect to the main theme by emphasizing a better future and focusing on how to create it. According to ExpoUpdate, the pavilions will feature elaborate designs focused on their respective theme.
Terra - The sustainability pavilion has been dubbed Terra and welcomes attendees to navigate ocean depths, deep forests, and artistic interpretations of the world's wonders. The goal of Terra is to inspire visitors to fight climate change, including small and large acts that offer a sustainable future. The pavilion will draw energy from its 4,912 solar panels and the 18 Energy Trees surrounding it. Terra also makes smart use of water by using a greywater recycling system that aims to save 75% of the water used in the landscape.
Alif - The mobility pavilion focuses on future travel solutions, space exploration, and how digital integration enables us to explore new frontiers. The pavilion has a 330-meter track named Mobility Track, which showcases innovative mobility devices in action. Alif features the world's largest passenger lift and invites visitors to see the future of smart cities.
Mission Impossible – the opportunity-themed pavilion is focused on creating connections and introducing the visitors to the social innovators who have affected people's lives all over the world. In this pavilion, visitors can also find a youth empowerment program aiming to empower young creators. The goal of Mission Impossible is to help visitors understand that they are all a part of the 8 billion possibilities on this earth.
What Dubai Stands To Benefit?
Dubai says it wants the Expo to be a place of culture, technology, and architecture. The event should offer demonstrations of ingenuity on issues like climate change, conflict, and economic growth that can be addressed together.
According to Reuters, the location of the expo was an empty desert when Dubai was chosen eight years ago. The area was chosen because it is strategically located between the two major emirates of the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and next to the new Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali.
The site now houses the event's headquarters and includes 700,000 square meters of pavilions and other venue space and 500,000 square meters of permanent structures. The cost of constructing the expo site and related infrastructure is estimated to be US$6.9 billion, per reporting by DubaiVisa.
Its Role As A Forum For Trade
The purpose of the world expo is to offer a platform for the global community to share innovations and engage in debate about key issues facing the world. Nations from all over the world come together showcasing their products and craftsmanship.
"All major trading countries and powers plan to use Expo to refocus and to redefine their position in the world market," said France's Expo commissioner-general, Erik Linquier.
Sources: DubaiVisa, Reuters, ExpoUpdate