123

Dubai: Word Expo 2020

An international exhibition designed to showcase the achievement of nations will be hosted in Dubai. With over 190 participating countries, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an array of cultures and meet people from all over the world.

  • Ariel View of Dubai's World Expo 2020
  • Daytime Ariel View of Dubai's World Expo 2020
  • Nighttime Ariel View of Dubai's World Expo 2020
123

Dubai: Word Expo 2020

An international exhibition designed to showcase the achievement of nations will be hosted in Dubai. With over 190 participating countries, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an array of cultures and meet people from all over the world.

What Is An Expo? Why Should I Care? Main Attractions

Opening Date: October 20, 2020

0Days0Hours0Minutes0Seconds

(Since World Expo 2020 has not opened yet, photos are obtained from here.)

World Expos have played an integral part in shaping the world, and many achievements from past expos are still widely influential today. Such achievements include the telephone (presented during World Expo 1876), the Eiffel Tower (the symbol of World Expo 1889), the ice cream cone (presented during World Expo 1904), television (presented during World Expo 1939), and the Space Needle (the symbol of World Expo 1962), among many others.

World Expos are one of the few rare moments in history when the countries of the world decide to collaborate and focus more on similarities instead of differences—all in an effort to create a better future for all. In a sense, World Expos unite the world—if only for a fleeting moment in time.

Note: Feel free to check out the UAE guide for more information. To help you maximize your experience, there are also more specific guides for Dubai and Abu Dhabi. These guides should cover all your needs by providing easy-to-follow information (some history, synopsis, climate, communication, navigation, costs, ratings on cost/food/popularity, attractions/activities, cultural considerations, unique considerations, etc.).

  • Some of the colors used (notably red, green, white, and black) are the colors of the UAE flag. When relevant, there will be other colors resembling their respective countries’ flags.
  • The font on the World Expo 2020 site is, wait for it, Expo Sans.

Expo Sans, World Expo 2020 Site

  • The World Expo (referred to as the World Fair in the past) is a French tradition of national exhibitions. This is why France’s BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) is the sanctioning body for World Expos.
  • The best-known first exhibition was hosted in 1851 (The Great Exhibition) in London’s Crystal Palace.
  • There are smaller and more specific Specialized Expos (i.e. the Living Ocean and Coast Expo 2012 in South Korea and the Future Energy Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan).
  • In November 2013, despite being a last-minute bidder, Dubai won the right to host.
  • Milan, Italy hosted World Expo 2015 and Osaka, Japan will host World Expo 2025.
  • Over 20 million people attended World Expo 2015. Due to grand ambitions, Dubai’s numbers are expected to be quite a bit higher, especially when considering that Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of the busiest airports in the world. Furthermore, the expo is at the midpoint between Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) for easy access.

What Is a World Expo?

(hover mouse over the icons)

  • A World Expo is essentially an exhibition (i.e. public display) of countries’ achievements. It is a collaborative effort from almost all countries in the world. Each country creates a pavilion (i.e. structure) to represent their homeland. More details on pavilions are covered in the Pavilion section.

  • History

    The World Expo is an international tradition that dates back to the mid-1800s. World Expos usually take place every 5 years and last for 6 months.

  • Ambition

    Since the beginning, all World Expos had grand ambitions to unite the world with universal themes that applied to all humanity.

  • Why Should I Go?

    Because it’s gonna be sick. Scroll down for further proof.

  • World Expo 2020 will be the first time an Expo has been hosted in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa, and South Asia) region.
  • With so much at stake, World Expo 2020 has grand ambitions. Dubai will hold nothing back in its quest to create the greatest World Expo in history. I personally think they described such ambitions rather eloquently.

“Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

"We’re talking eye-catching mind-bending taste bud-tickling grin-inducing good-weird did-that-really-just-happen fun."

“We’re talking eye-catching, mind-bending, taste bud-tickling, grin-inducing, good-weird, did-that-really-just-happen fun.”

“Come along, or spend a lifetime telling less interesting stories.”

World Expo 2020

Open

173

Days

Food

200+

Restaurants

Pavilions

190

Countries

WiFi

5G

Connection

Shows

60

Daily

Important Logistical Information
Duration Opens from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021
Time Opens from 10:00 am to 01:00 am on weekdays and 10:00 am to 2:00 am on weekends
Location Located in Dubai South district, close to Al Maktoum International Airport and midway between DXB and AUH.
Ticketing Ticket sales will start at the end of 2019. Tickets can be purchased through the World Expo 2020 website.
In addition to airport transportation, the Expo will also have its own metro station capable of transporting 44,000 passengers per hour.

Pavilions

UAE's Falcon Wing Pavilion
UAE's Falcon Wing Pavilion
UAE's Falcon Wing Pavilion
USA's City of the Future Pavilion
USA's City of the Future Pavilion
Belgium's Green Ark Pavilion
Belgium's Green Ark Pavilion
Germany's Campus Pavilion
Germany's Campus Pavilion
Czech Republic's Oasis Pavilion
Czech Republic's Oasis Pavilion
Monaco's Rock Pavilion
Monaco's Rock Pavilion

What is a Pavilion?

Pavilions are essentially buildings that feature the narrative and achievements of a country.

  • Pavilions are built around some theme that the country chooses. One pavilion can feature energy and environmental ideas while another features technological advances.
  • Many pavilions will have interactive exhibits, live entertainment, and hangout areas, among others.
  • Participating countries usually build their own pavilions from the ground up and attempt to create the most outstanding structure that is memorable, artistic and representative of their homeland.

Note: More details about pavilions will be added once the Expo opens. The pavilions presented here are just a very small fraction of the potential 190+ pavilions at the actual Expo. 

United Arab Emirate’s Falcon Wings

The United Arab Emirate’s pavilion is designed in the shape of a falcon’s wings in flight. Side note: they have falcons for pets here.

Layout

The structure is four stories tall and is about 161,450 square feet (15,000 square meters) total.

Purpose

The pavilion’s objective will be to showcase Emirati culture, achievements, and ambitions.

United State’s Doohickey City of the Future

The United State’s pavilion, a structure designed so that it appears to be in motion, resembles a city of the future.

Concept

It emphasizes mobility—literally, via the hyperloop (a technology using vacuums as a means of transportation) and figuratively, via “moving” into the future.

Exhibitions

Throughout the pavilion, technological innovations (i.e. 3-D printed organs, the hyperloop, and potential future life on Mars) will be displayed alongside the country’s culture, art, and gastronomy, among others.

Belgium’s Green Ark

The eco-friendly Green Ark, a structure emphasizing environmental friendliness and sustainability, will feature over 10,000 plants.

Exhibitions

Enveloped by splendid greenery, the Green Ark will “draw on renewable resources to feed its energy needs and smart technologies to feed its plants.”

Food

In addition to feeding their plants, the country’s world-class cuisine will feed its guests. Speaking of food—I hear their fries are exquisite.

Germany’s “Campus Germany”

Campus Germany is designed like a campus—the kind you see at a college of some sort. Nuff said.

Exhibitions

The campus features the Energy Lab, Future City Lab, and Biodiversity Lab. Naturally, there will be a focus on culture, food, and other innovations.

Activities

The campus will encourage an activity where visitors “choose from 155,000 balls in the colors of Germany’s flag to explore the nation’s pioneering sustainability efforts.” Yeah, I don’t have a clue either. We’ll have to see once it opens.

Czech Republic’s Oasis

The Czech Republic’s Oasis, building on the sustainability theme, utilizes solar energy and innovations (i.e. extracting water vapor from the air) to create an oasis in the desert.

Exhibitions

Some of the structure’s exhibitions delve into the country’s arts and, of course, food. There will be a specific rotating exhibition covering the country’s culture.

Special Features

The building will also feature an installation that details its long history of glassmaking.

Monaco’s Rock Thingie (“360°”)

Monaco’s Rock, drawing inspiration from the Rock of Monaco (whoa, plot twist, didn’t see that coming), is a rock-shaped structure whose interior is designed to resemble the mazy (and likely rocky) streets of Monaco.

Exhibitions

Monaco’s Rock contains the Kaleidoscope—an exhibit showcasing the country’s art, culture, and gastronomy, among others.

Special Features

The structure also features a Garden of Opportunity—an exhibit that brings to life Monaco’s warm and sunny climate.

Closing Statements

As evidenced by the abundance of world-renowned attractions interspersed throughout the country, The United Arab Emirates has shown a determination to amaze the world. With the advent of the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, the culminating results should be nothing short of spectacular.

Planning and preparations take over half a decade, and an extraordinary amount of work is put into all World Expos. Definitely see it if you can, because it will undoubtedly be an experience of a lifetime. Some of the structures built could become world-famous (remember, the Eiffel Tower was built for World Expo 1889), and you can be there when they are unveiled at 100% completion.

And it’s not just World Expo 2020 that you will get to see. Dubai and Abu Dhabi both have plenty of attractions to spare. Both cities are relatively near to the Expo location.

On a final note, make sure to share this page so others will know about the incredible World Expo 2020!

Related Content