EXPO 2020 Vision
EXPO 2020 Vision
Manik Mehta reports on Dubai’s EXPO 2020 progress and gets some insights
from the team making it into a reality
uch preparatory
work on Dubai’s
upcoming mega
event EXPO 2020
– still scheduled to be held
from 20 October 2020 to April
10, 2021 – has been completed
despite the increasing threat
and pressures of coronavirus.
The construction of national
pavilions for the participating
countries, each with its own
distinct identity, is at an
advanced stage.
The EXPO’s broad theme is
‘Connecting Minds, Creating
the Future’; and participating
nations will showcase their
innovations, achievements
and aspirations under three
subthemes: ‘Opportunity,
Mobility and Sustainability’.
Sumathi Ramanathan, the
Global Destination Marketing
Director for EXPO 2020 Dubai
UAE, explained in an interview
with Exhibition World at the
recent New York Times Travel
Show – that Dubai had set up a
huge pavilion to promote EXPO
2020 Dubai. “EXPO 2020 Dubai
is the largest mega event in the
entire Middle East, Africa and
South Asia region,” Ramanathan
noted.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
The EXPO is run by
the Bureau International
des Expositions (BIE), the
intergovernmental organisation
which oversees and regulates
all long-term non-commercial
international exhibitions. It
awarded the 2020 event to
Dubai, having accepted its bid in
Paris in November 2013.
“The size of the EXPO 2020
site is about 4.38sq.km and is
located between Dubai and Abu
Dhabi in an area called Dubai
South. We are building a new
metro station which will be used
later for commuter services. In
addition, there will be a new
central exhibition centre of
about 48,000sqm functioning
during the EXPO,” she added.
A massive transportation
operation deploying 580
shuttle buses will be launched
throughout the UAE in time for
EXPO 2020, which organisers
expect to attract some 25m
visitors, 70% of whom are
expected to come from outside
the UAE.
Capital expenditure of
AED25bn is being allocated for
EXPO 2020, with much of the
infrastructure being used later
for other purposes.
“We are trying to get
multinational corporations
(MNCs) to use the infrastructure
for their business operations,”
Ramanathan explained; and
indeed big corporate names
include Merck, Atlas and Capital
are among those setting up a
presence. The post-EXPO legacy
infrastructure will include
logistics, transportation and
innovation facilities.
Two of the EXPO’s official
premier partners, Accenture
and Siemens, are planning to
establish a permanent presence
in Dubai, with Siemens setting
up its global headquarters
for airports, cargo and ports
logistics at the site, and
Accenture opening a digital hub.
Ramanathan said that some
four million tickets for the
expositions had been secured by
international visitors, with 2,000
ticket resellers signed up to sell
EXPO tickets. “We also expect
many foreign leaders to attend
this government-led mega
event,” she maintained, although
admittedly was speaking to EW
before the Covid-19 outbreak
had reached the levels we are
seeing in late March.
The EXPO timetable remains
unchanged so far. Besides two
summits – the World Block
Chain Summit and the World
Government Summit – 60
events a day are anticipated
during EXPO 2020, with themes
including culture, technology,
innovation, music and creativity.
National pavilions will reflect
the unique characteristics of
each country. The UK pavilion,
for example, has a strong
‘Stephen Hawking touch’ – a
project by the scientist inspiring
the pavilion’s concept and
highlighting technology and
artificial intelligence.
The Indian diaspora in the
UAE has pledged significant
funding for the construction of
the India pavilion, which could
cost up to AED250m.
Highlights of the India
Pavilion will include a tall statue
of Mahatma Gandhi and depict
facets of India’s 5,000-year-old
culture. The programme will
be embellished by culture,
art, entertainment, gems and
jewellery. It will also feature
cuisines, commerce and space
research, as well as including
Diwali, the ‘Festival of Lights’.
There will be a great variety to
see at each national pavilion.
Issue 2 2020
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