A place of spectacular fashion and dazzling moments with a history of marvelous advancements waiting to greet people with innovations that have never ever been witnessed before.
Futuristic (things that are still a few decades away in terms of reaching to the rest of the world) Art, Music, Gastronomy, Technology, Architecture, and Entertainment are being brought to life here in World Expo 2020.
World Expo has been happening every 5 years for a period of 6 months with a certain theme being selected for each of the Expo leading to showcase and prototype what would be achieved in the future. It first came in to existence in Crystal Palace, London in 1851 with the theme being “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations”. It’s said that Prince Albert , Queen Victoria’s husband had the idea for the “Great Exhibition” and since then, it’s been continuing periodically every five years until 2020. The main reason to continue this is to highlight what education, innovation, collaboration and cooperation from around the world can bring.
There is a bidding process through which the host of the Expo is selected around 6-9 years prior to the World Expo. The previous editions of the World Expo have given many wonders to the world such as the great Eiffel Tower in Paris, Typewriter, Television, and even Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Last World Expo took place in Milan 2015 with Dubai being next in line for the 2020 Expo but was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic, although the name is still Expo 2020 for promotional reasons. The next Expo will be happening in Osaka, Japan for the year 2025 with the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.
Expo 2020 with the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” has its opening on October 1st lasting till 31st March between Dubai and Abu Dhabi across an area of 1080 acres. This spectacle will have a total of 192 pavilions of different countries with the Al Wasl Plaza (Al Wasl is Dubai’s old name) being at the center, enclosed by three thematic districts which are based on the three subthemes are Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.
Technological advances with Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Augmented Reality and even Space Exploration will be a spectacular visual treat along with cuisines and tastes from all around the world, yet it still is an incomplete description.
Ticket costs are Dhs 120 or USD 33 for a single day and there are also three day passes which can be used for any three days during the 6 months period costing Dhs 260 or USD 71. There are also other concessions such as free tickets for adults over 65 and children under 5 while school students can avail 50% discount as well. It isn’t expensive considering the fact that you can have a world tour of technological wonders with over 60 shows a day and an opportunity to witness artists from around the world performing live.
District 2020
This is the ‘City of the Future’ that will be ajar from October 2021, which is after marking the end of Expo 2020. More than 80% of the infrastructure would be retained and used for other purposes making the city of the future. The Sustainability Pavilion will be transformed to ‘Terra, the Children and Science Centre’, the Mobility Pavilion will be made a commercial building and the UAE pavilion would be taken over by the UAE Government. There will be residential, commercial, and even social parks in a completely future‑proof design to create a new equilibrium of the future.
