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Expo 2020 Dubai is set to be a dynamic showcase of innovations that will change the way humanity lives and thinks--all while living harmoniously with nature. 

This is a crucial decade for sustainable solutions in mobility, industry, energy, and agriculture. At Expo 2020 Dubai, nations, inventors, and innovators have gathered to showcase new approaches and ideas to creating a greener future. 

As with most global events, the 2020 Expo was delayed because of the pandemic. But after eight years of planning and USD 7 billion in spending, Expo 2020 Dubai has just opened and will run until March 31, 2022.

All about Expo 2020

It's the first World Expo in the Middle East--and the United Arab Emirates has pulled out all the stops to make Expo 2020 Dubai an inspiring, enlightening, and visually striking global event. Here are some fast facts about the Expo.

The theme of this year’s World Expo is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The exhibition grounds are divided into three thematic districts: Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. 

In each district, a flagship pavilion showcases relevant strategies, systems, and innovations to drive progress. The Terra Pavilion highlights sustainability, focusing on innovations that protect our environment. Alif, the Mobility Pavilion, showcases the latest advancements in transport and travel--both on Earth and in outer space. At the Opportunity District, the pavilion is aptly named Mision Possible. 

Sustainability District: Living in harmony with nature

Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the Terra Pavilion is a marriage of nature-inspired structures and futuristic technologies. It is surrounded by 18 Energy Trees which are equipped with more than 4,900 solar panels. These structures rotate to follow the path of the sun. Together with the 130-meter wide canopy of the pavilion, the Energy Trees can generate four gigawatts of energy per year--enough to charge more than 900,000 mobile phones. The pavilion also has a greywater system that aims to reduce water use by 75%.

Standouts at the Sustainability District

The Netherlands

The Dutch Pavilion was built entirely from locally sourced materials to minimize its carbon footprint. Exploring the theme “uniting water, energy, and food”, the pavilion’s microclimate system harvests water, energy, and food through innovations that include a cone-shaped vertical farm. 

Singapore

Centered on the theme of “Nature, Nurture, Future”, the design principles of this country pavilion mirror the urban strategies that Singapore has used to make the city sustainable. Natural ventilation and green architecture, combined with 51 dry-mist fans, keep the pavilion cool without air conditioning. More than 80,000 plants cover the structure, and the water for this lush greenery is groundwater that is desalinated using solar energy.

Czech Republic

Using the Solar Air Water Earth Resources (S.A.W.E.R.) system, the Czech Republic pavilion transforms the desert into an oasis. The solar-powered technology extracts water from the desert air, producing up to 500 liters of drinking and irrigation water.​​

Mobility District: smarter movement of knowledge, ideas, and goods

From Earth to outer space, the Alif Pavilion showcases transport and technology. Designed by Foster + Partners, the pavilion is named after the first letter of the Arabic alphabet: a nod to new beginnings, according to the architects. At the Alif Pavilion, you can ride the world’s largest elevator, which can transport more than 160 people at a time. Visitors can build their own robot, design a spaceship, and 

see innovative mobility devices moving on a 330-meter track. They can also attend workshops and see technology-inspired performances involving drones and robots. 

Standouts at the Mobility District

Belgium

The lush Green Arch exterior of the Belgian pavilion showcases the country’s 2050 vision for a smart, safe, and clean mobility future. Narrations by famous Belgian comic figures guide the visitors through the exhibit, showcasing an integral part of Belgian culture and history.

Republic of Korea

The theme of the Korean pavilion is “Smart Korea, moving the world to you” and showcases digital technologies such as virtual reality (VR), artificial reality (AR), three-dimensional displays, smart cities, and automated driving. The exterior is made up of 1,597 colorful, rotating cubes that reflect the energy and mobility of the Korean people.

Opportunity District: creating connections and unlocking potential

Who can forget the iconic Burj Khalia sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol? The Opportunity Pavilion, aptly named Mission Possible, is a nod to Tom Cruise’s courage--and a challenge for us to muster our own. At the Opportunity Pavilion, young visitors can connect with change-makers and social innovators to exchange ideas and find inspiration to make an impact on people’s lives. 

Standouts at the Opportunity District

Ukraine

With the theme “Smart Ukraine: connecting dots”, Ukraine’s pavilion showcases how technologies can create a more balanced world. The pavilion is divided into three zones: Smart life, Smart thinking, and Smart feeling. Visitors can see exhibits on personal mobility, including an e-bike that can travel 380 kilometers on a single charge.

United Kingdom

Titled Poem Pavilion, the UK Pavilion’s design showcases machine-generated poetry in architectural form. Visitors can contribute to a continuously changing collective poem on the building’s facade. 

China

A robotic panda shakes hands with visitors of the pavilion, which is shaped like a lantern. It’s a combination of the country’s traditions and modern technologies. From space exploration to robotics to smart cities, the “Light of China” pavilion showcases the nation’s latest achievements in AI, smart living, and information technology.

A hopeful future for mankind

In 1851, the first World Expo--dubbed The Great Exhibition--took place in London. Since then, it has been a  venue to exchange ideas, reveal inventions, and forge connections. As the world valiantly struggles to recover from the pandemic, Dubai Expo 2020’s message of innovating for a sustainable future is one that we must take to heart.

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