Dubai Expo 2020 is open to visitors. The Expo is the first world’s fair to be held in the Middle East and the first global event open to all (those vaccinated or testing negative for Covid-19). It had been delayed due to the pandemic but it was inaugurated on October 1st and will run until March 31st 2022. Among the stars of the opening ceremony were Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu. UAE celebrates 50 years as a country this year
Dubai, the region’s center for tourism, trade and business, hopes to boost its economy by attracting 25 million visitors to the world’s fair that was built from scratch on 4.3 square kilometers of desert. Many countries and companies had been waiting for the expo – the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic – to boost trade and investment.
Organizers want the Expo, an exhibition of culture, technology and architecture under the motto Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, to be a demonstration of ingenuity, and a place where global challenges such as climate change, conflict and economic growth can be addressed together.
There might be some global reluctance to travel, and many events will be streamed live online. The Expo still officially expects to attract more visitors than Milan in 2015 and more than twice the population of the UAE. Organizers estimate the Expo will have 25 million visitors.
“Being responsible in managing the situation with Covid-19, and also in how we present an exciting program for visitors, we hope to be able to achieve an opening to the world but at the same time remaining cautious and maintaining public safety above all else,” Reem Al Hashimy, general manager of Expo 2020 Dubai told Reuters. The Expo requires the wearing of masks and that visitors over 18 be vaccinated, or test negative for Covid-19. Here is a selection of the top five pavilions currently on display.
1. Finland
Together with over 100 Finnish companies, Finland is participating at Expo 2020 Dubai from 01 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Finland is one of the leading countries in terms of innovation and technology know-how. The Finnish pavilion presents globally leading clean technologies, circular economy with sustainable use of resources, sustainable energy and digital solutions, mobile communications, machinery, education, health & well being, travel, and Finnish design.
2. Singapore
Showcasing Singapore’s urban innovations, the net-zero energy pavilion designed by WOHA explores our journey towards liveability and resilience. A three-dimensional green space flanked by forest trees, capped with a spectacular Hanging Garden. Visitors can stroll across an undulating landscape and 9-metre tall Garden Cones, a testament to Singapore’s reputation as a City in a Garden.
The Canopy Walk is an experiential journey meandering through the Pavilion, where visitors will be engaged by the sights and sounds of nature at the Ground Garden, Garden Cones and Hanging Garden. A series of sculptural Garden Cones draped in vertical greenery, texture and colour form the centrepieces of the pavilion, each featuring exhibits that showcase Singapore’s natural heritage, innovative urban solutions, and multitude of orchid species.
3. Brazil
Brazil’s pavilion in the Sustainability District has put the emphasis on the Amazon forest. Architects JPG.ARQ, MMBB, and Ben-Avid collaborated on the multi-sensory experience, which include a reflecting pool made from reclaimed water, projections of Brazil’s many landscapes using low-power LED lights. There are sounds and scents that will bring the Amazon to all Expo visitors.
4. Japan
For a long time, encounters with external influences have played a key role in the development of Japan. Moving towards the future, Japan will continue to be a place where ideas meet. A diverse range of Japanese content is showcased with cutting-edge technologies. Learn how new interactions of ideas lead to a better future and also be encouraged to post your ideas, paving the way for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Bespoke smartphones lent out to visitors will keep track of what they showed interest in, and the data will be used to create a finale specific to that day and time. Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will be held in Japan in 2025. The section will introduce how ideas, actions, and challenges of people from around the world can come together. Your ideas and messages will shape the next Expo.
5. Netherlands
The pavilion was designed by V8 Architects as a temporary, circular climate system – a biotope in Dubai’s desert climate. In the pavilion, solar energy is used to collect hundreds of litres of water per day from the air. The green Food Cone is the pavilion’s centrepiece and has over 9,000 edible plants and herbs such as asparagus, basil and mint growing all over it. There are dozens of kilos of oyster mushrooms cultivated on the inside of the cone.
The water that is collected from the air is used to irrigate the plants. Natural phenomena such as condensation, solar energy, photosynthesis, fungus production, humidity and temperature transmission are used to create a climate system. Visitors experience the power of these natural phenomena in an almost silent space and see how food can be grown in a building in a circular manner.
Architecture is used as a physical representation of the Netherlands’ key message, namely the connection between sustainable solutions in the areas of water, energy and food. Even in the most arid conditions it is possible to create a liveable environment.
