Expo 2020 Dubai

The United Arab Emirates expects to welcome approximately 25 million visitors to Expo 2020 in Dubai. This is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia region. Until March 31, 2022, more than 190 countries will present their innovations in technology, sustainability and mobility.

Dubai’s emir, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will open Expo 2020 on Thursday in the presence of government officials and family members. It will run until March 31, 2022.

Postponed last year due to the health crisis, the exhibition will be open to the public from Friday, October 1, 2021 in the middle of the desert, on the outskirts of Dubai, the city of skyscrapers and luxury.

History

Since Dubai got the green light to host the event in 2013, it has built a new exhibition center, the Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali, the size of 600 soccer fields. An area where, for 182 days, more than 190 countries will show the world their progress and offer visitors the chance to experience their culture in a different way.

The exhibition will showcase the architectural wonders and technological innovations of more than 190 countries represented in its pavilions.

The first World’s Fair was held in 1851 in London, in the Crystal Palace, a structure created for the occasion. And in Paris, in 1889, it introduced the world to the iconic Eiffel Tower.

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Dubai’s Expo 2020 promises to be the biggest event ever seen in the Middle East, in the year leading up to the World Cup soccer tournament in its wealthy neighbor, Qatar.

Dubai expects about 25 million visitors over the next six months with the majority (70%) coming from outside the UAE because, unlike Japan, which banned the public during the Tokyo Olympics, it is opening its doors wide to foreign tourists as long as they wear masks and respect the social distance.

All visitors must be vaccinated or, failing that, have a very recent negative PCR test.

Thanks to the delay in the pandemic, the country will be able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of this federation of seven emirates, whose capital is Abu Dhabi, on December 2, in the middle of Expo 2020.

Theme

Connecting minds, creating the future is the slogan chosen for the exhibition, as the idea is based on the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people from different backgrounds and fields coming together to share ideas and solve global challenges.

This is the first time in the history of world’s fairs that the distribution will not be by regions, but by areas concentrated in three districts that make up a small city:

- Opportunity District. It aims to arouse the empathy of visitors to create a better world.
- Mobility District. Breaks the gap between the physical and digital world to build a global society in harmony.
- Sustainability District. Shows how humans can enjoy living in harmony with nature in a high-tech future.

Among the many attractions planned are the Harlem Globetrotters basketball players and a Chinese panda robot. Fans of futuristic travel will be able to ride in a “Hyperloop” cabin (which travels at high speeds in a tube) and history buffs can view an ancient sarcophagus in the Egyptian pavilion.

In addition, the site and the national pavilions themselves will feature a multitude of immersive experiences, from sound and light shows to immersive dining inspired by space, microbiology and artificial intelligence.

Culinary offerings will also be key to introducing visitors to each of the cultures. There will be more than 100 establishments specializing in universal gastronomy, with offerings ranging from the most traditional to the most creative.

China boasts one of the largest pavilions, shaped like a bulb, while Morocco has built its pavilion above ground for environmental reasons. The Dutch have a pyramid covered with edible plants and irrigated by solar rainwater.

Most European states are participating in the event, although the European Parliament has called for a boycott “to show its rejection of human rights abuses in the Emirates.

After Mars 2022: reuse of space

When the event ends in March 2022, the world expo site will become District 2020, a project to create a smart, sustainable and people-centered city, which plans to use at least 80 percent of the infrastructure.

Dubai Expo 2020 ticket price

Open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 12:00 am from Saturday to Wednesday and from 10:00 am to 2:00 am Thursday and Friday

Price for 1 day: 95 AED ($27, 22 euros), free for children under 17 and over 60.

Price for the season: 495 AED ($143, 116 euros), free for children under 17 and over 60.

How to get there

Red line of the metro, by Expo Rider buses

https://www.expo2020dubai.com/

https://goo.gl/maps/aGMUL4SH7f9MMehc8