EXPO 2020 Vision
shape the future.
Our three subthemes
cut across many initiatives,
including Expo Live, our
innovation and partnership
programme. With an allocation
of $100m, Expo Live funds,
accelerates and promotes
solutions to pressing challenges
around the world.
The subthemes are also
represented in the three
Thematic Districts of the
EXPO 2020 site. Each district
is anchored by a Thematic
Pavilion, housing interactive
exhibitions and engaging
content to explore the themes
in a fun and entertaining way.
Each Thematic District will also
include performance spaces,
innovation galleries and art
installations, outdoor gardens
and F&B and retail.
For the first time in World
Expo history, Country Pavilions
are located on the site according
to their chosen subtheme,
rather than their geographical
location in the world.
How are organisers working
with events industry
professionals, such as
suppliers?
We created a custom-built, end-
to-end procurement system - the
Online Marketplace (OMP) - to
enable businesses to connect,
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
collaborate and compete for
opportunities globally. All EXPO
2020 tenders are exclusively
listed on a free service.
Currently more than 40,000
suppliers from more than 150
countries are registered.
What do you hope will be the
outcomes post-EXPO 2020 and
how, specifically, will the UAE
benefit?
The legacy of Expo 2020 has
been at the core of planning
since the bid phase in 2013.
There are four pillars to the
legacy: economic, physical,
social and reputational.
EXPO 2020 will deliver a
meaningful economic legacy by
contributing to both domestic
and international economies
and building on a stable,
sustainable and diversified
economy for the UAE.
In April 2019, EY published
an independent report that
stated EXPO 2020 is already
having a substantial economic
impact and is expected to
continue to do so over the next
decade and beyond. EXPO 2020
will contribute AED 122.6bn
in economic activity that is
anticipated to support around
905,200 jobs in the UAE between
2013 and 2031.
The construction industry
is a major beneficiary, but the
economic impact will benefit
a wide range of sectors, from
retail and transport to the
restaurant and hotel sectors.
Eighty per cent of EXPO-built
structures will live on beyond
the event, creating a physical
legacy as District 2020 – a city of
the future.
District 2020’s vision is to
become a mixed-use community
and innovation ecosystem.
Multinational organisations
such as Accenture, DP World
and Siemens have already
committed to establishing
headquarters at District 2020.
Iconic structures, including Al
Wasl Plaza and Dubai Exhibition
Centre, will continue to host
events and attract visitors.
The new Dubai Exhibition
Centre (DEC), co-located at EXPO
2020, will play a key role. DEC’s
45,000sqm of programmable
space will be packed with state-
of-the-art technology and will
be one of the first conference
venues anywhere in the world
to feature 5G connectivity. DEC
will also be part of District 2020
and has already been confirmed
as the venue for a number of
high-profile events during the
six months of Expo 2020. They
include: the World Government
Summit (November 2020);
the 20th Cityscape Global
(10-12 November 2020), the
largest real estate investment
and development event for
emerging markets globally;
Middle East Film and Comic Con
(4-6 March 2021), the region’s
biggest festival of pop culture
and gaming, expected to attract
more than 45,000 people; and
the inaugural Games Con (4-6
March 2021), dedicated to
the growing online gaming
community in the region.
What other side events,
conferences and festivals are
planned around the main
showgrounds?
EXPO 2020 Dubai will feature
60-plus live shows daily,
192 participating countries
showcasing the world’s best
architecture, culture, design,
heritage, music and innovation,
and 200-plus food and beverage
outlets offering more than 50
cuisines. Special days, such
as Diwali, Chinese New Year,
Christmas and New Year, will
also be celebrated.
Coronavirus update:
Before going to press, EW
asked EXPO 2020 Dubai
for an update on how the
global pandemic was likely
to affect the event:
“We recognise the
difficulty that the world is
facing together, today. These
are indeed unprecedented
times. The health and well-
being of everyone visiting
and working at EXPO 2020
Dubai is of paramount
importance to us. The
number of cases in the
UAE is currently (23 March
– ed) low but the UAE
authorities remain vigilant
by continuously monitoring
the situation and taking
robust precautionary,
preventative measures
necessary to contain the
rapid spread of the virus.
“EXPO does not open
until late October. We are
consulting very closely
with local authorities and
the International Bureau
of Expositions in Paris as
the situation evolves. All
planning and preparations
remain on track. We look
forward to welcoming the
world to celebrate the power
of partnership and human
solidarity later this year.”
Issue 2 2020
47