A One-of-a-Kind Experience ~ Dubai Expo 2020
“If you want an incomparable Expo, if you want an Expo that provides living experiences that blend the many diverse elements of the global society, if you want an Expo that expresses the state and aspirations of the world, you have come to the right city.” - Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
A World Expo is a mega international event which is both a festival and a platform where people from all over the world come together and connect with each other, share ideas, learn and innovate.
Occurring every five years, the latest one dubbed the 2020 World Expo hosted by Dubai in the UAE runs from October 2021 to March 2022. Spread out over 4.83 Kilometers hosting 200 participants, 192 countries the theme of this exposition is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.
A bird’s eye view of the Expo from the Garden in the Sky observation tower. It provides a view of the giant Al Wasl Dome, a 360 degrees projection dome connecting the three thematic districts Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. It has been referred to as the beating heart of the Expo and will continue to provide entertainment for visitors even after the Expo is done.
Imagine embarking on a journey where you can visit 192 different countries, and explore their history, culture, and food in a single location using your feet and perhaps a golf cart or two as you cross borders.
Imagine a spirit of global cooperation where all these countries connect with a single goal to innovate a better future with autonomous vehicles, robotics, augmented reality and space explorations to benefit the globe and the world we live in.
Imagine robots going down the streets taking food orders and making food deliveries. Time travelers, experience this reality in Dubai at the Expo 2020.
Take a quick tour with me as we wander through what I saw and did while at the Expo.
Several hotels including mine ran a free shuttle which took us to the Expo grounds about an hour’s shuttle ride from central Dubai. We entered from the Sustainability gate. Vaccination cards were checked at the entrance, alternatively a current PCR test was required for non-vaccinated visitors.
In much the same way as the Crystal Palace was the centerpiece for the first expo held in London, the Al Wasl Dome and Plaza is the centerpiece for the first world exp held in this part of the world.
The name Al Wasl means ‘connection’ in Arabic, and hence, Al Wasl Plaza has been designed to work as the central core of the entire Expo 2020 site, connecting the three Thematic Districts, and providing a focal point for visitors throughout the six-month event. The Plaza has been designed to form a grand ‘urban room’, a meeting place that creates a shaded microclimate unlike anywhere else in Dubai.
The plaza, which is topped by a unique and iconic dome, has been designed by US-based firm, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The raw steel for the trellis was sourced from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, and the steel was shaped into its flowing curves by companies from Belgium, Germany and Spain before being molded into its intricate latticing in Italy, a true example of global cooperation.
I did not get the memo that this should be my starting point, so I turned left from the gate and explored the Mobility district first. and then zig zagged my way a bit, taking golf cart taxis and people movers to get me from place to place and conserving some of my energies.
Alif the Mobility Pavilion sets the tone for the sub-theme of its name. It’s definitely a cool place to visit and goggle at what the future holds.
The Baden-Württemberg House is a timber hybrid building that stands for the innovative strength of Baden-Württemberg, but also for the importance of sustainability in the region. The large staircase in front of the pavilion forms an abstract “flower meadow” creating an accommodating atmosphere with seating options and messages to be discovered.
UK’s contribution to Expo 2020 is a wooden sculptural structure that uses advanced machine learning algorithms to transform the input of visitors into collective poems that are displayed on the blocks on the structure.
The Czech spring makes water out of air bringing the desert to life. Incredible.
The Korea pavilion is huge and stands out not just because of its size but also because of the 1597 spinning cubes.
“Spinning expresses Korea’s dynamism. In our world, everything alive spins — galaxies spin and even our DNA spins.” in the words of one of the architects of the pavilion.
There had been unseasonal rain in Dubai and while shopping and food was open the actual exhibit itself had to be closed due to water damage when I visited.
The enclosure of the pavilion was inspired by a fishing net. The intent is that the flowing nature of the shell is catching future opportunities for a new Iraq in a global development context.
From an ancient heritage to a sustainable future, Cambodia is still on my bucket list. Someday!
The U.S.A. Pavilion celebrates the American spirit of creativity and invention that has driven America to create the future we live in today: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Future”.
The Indian Pavilion celebrates India’s many innovations in space, wellness, industry and cultural diversity but I was particularly struck by this entire section on the handicrafts of Kashmir.
What else would you go for but Belgian Waffles in the Belgian Pavilion.
Food is a key part of any wandering around the world. The Dubai Expo certainly did not lack in this area. From food courts celebrating food to restaurants located in the country pavilions, there were gastronomical delights to delight various palates and purses. I was particularly struck with America’s contribution to the gastronomical stage. Trust me it was quite popular and no, I did not indulge in pizza.
Little areas for visitors to get a load off their feet, grab a bite from the food trucks or just play.
Commemorative benches and calligraphy to mark the occasion. There is a passport that is issued at the Expo, and you can collect stamps from every country pavilion that you visit. I barely scratched the surface.
One of the challenges is that while I was aware of the smart queues that are kind of front of the line passes, many countries and pavilions that I wanted to explore could not be scheduled on the days that I could visit, and the lines were too long for me to make the effort to stand in line for entrance with the limited time I had at the Expo.
I am happy I made the effort to make my way there despite the fears of omicron. My eyes are opened to possibilities and no doubt we’ll see some of these innovations become a part of the world we live in as the world turns. To really do it justice and experience and explore everything one needs to stay near the expo grounds and spend a month or so exploring.