Expo 2020

The main site of Expo 2020 Dubai will be a 438-hectare area (1083 acres) located between the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, near Dubai's southern border with Abu Dhabi. The master plan, designed by the American firm HOK,[4] is organized around a central plaza, entitled Al Wasl, enclosed by three large Thematic districts. Each one is dedicated to one of the sub-themes of Expo 2020 – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.[5] Dubai has also been emphasizing on investments in various sectors such as economic growth, real estate, environmental avenues and public affairs. In recent times, Dubai has made major investments in Real Estate[6] as well as introduced a world's largest Solar Power Project which is all set to start by Expo 2020.[7] Apart from pumping money, the nation is also keen on giving equal prominence to public relationships. The initiative – Dubai Happiness Agenda, has 16 programmes under four themes that sums up 82 projects to be set in the city with an aim to make the city the happiest by 2020.[8] The Dubai Expo 2020 also would see a rise in the GDP as predicted by the International Monetary Fund.[9][10]

The following nations and regions have announced their participation in Expo 2020:

Pavilions

Name	Sub theme	Size	Notes
Afghanistan[11]
Algeria[12][13]
Angola[13]
Argentina[13]
ASEAN[14]
Australia[13]	Mobility[15]
Austria[13]	Opportunity		[16]
Azerbaijan[17]	Sustainability[18][19]	1,300 sqm of gardens and walkways[19]	It has a theme of Seeds for the Future, and was designed by Simmetrico[19]
Bahamas	Sustainability[20]	7500 sq ft[20]
Bahrain[13][21]	Opportunity[18]
Bangladesh[22]
Belarus[13]	Opportunity[23]		Called Forest of Future Technology the pavilion was designed by NÜSSLI Adunic AG[23]
Belgium[13]	Mobility[24]		It has a theme of Smart and Green Belgium 2050 and was designed by Assar Architects and Vincent Callebaut Architectures[24]
Bhutan[25]	To be decided (as of 23 August 2019)[25]		The UAE is providing the pavilion free[25]
Brazil[13]	Sustainability[18][26]
Brunei[14]
Bulgaria[27]	Mobility[27]
Burkina Faso[28]
Burundi	Opportunity[18]
Cambodia[14]
Canada	Sustainability[18][29]		Canada: The Future in Mind is a wooden structure designed by Moriyama & Teshima[29]
Cape Verde[28]
Central African Republic[28]
Chile
China[13]	Opportunity[18]
Colombia[21][30]
Congo
Cuba[22]
Cyprus
Czech Republic[13]	Sustainability[18][26][31]		Its theme is Czech Spring, the architects are Formosa AA and it will included a restaurant serving Czech food[31]
Denmark
Djibouti[22]	Mobility[18]
Dominican Republic[22]
DR Congo[28]
DP World	Mobility		(District 2020 legacy) The pavilion will become a permanent faculty dedicated to logistics[32]
East Timor[17]
Ecuador
Egypt[13][21]
ENOC[33]		2,060 sqm[33]
Estonia	Mobility[18]
Ethiopia
Fiji[34]	Opportunity[34]
Finland[13]	Mobility[18]
France[35]	Mobility[18]
Germany[13]	Sustainability[18][26]
Greece[36]
Grenada[17]
Gulf Cooperation Council	Opportunity[18]		The pavilion will feature a central pool of water and a giant knot pendulum symbolising one Gulf[37]
Hong Kong
Hungary[38]	Mobility[38]	1828 sqm[38]	It will be a timber-framed pavilio, designed by Lőrinc Csernyus[38]
Iceland
India	Opportunity[18]
Indonesia	Opportunity[18]
Iran[39]		2,014 sq.m[39]	It will have slot C.190[40] next to the French and Mexican pavilions[39]
Iraq[41]
Ireland	Mobility[18]
Israel[42]
Italy	Opportunity[18]
Japan[13]	Opportunity[18]
Jordan[43]			Its theme will be The Thresholds of Ingenuity[43]
Kazakhstan	Opportunity[18]
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait[13][17]	Sustainability[18]
Kyrgyzstan[13]
Laos[14]
Latvia[21]	Mobility[18]
Lebanon
Lesotho[17][28]
Liberia[28]
Lithuania	Sustainability	15.5 acre	The 15.5 acre Lithuania pavilion called Openarium will be in the sustainability zone and designed by MB "Baukas" who won a design competition against 11 other entrants.[44]
Luxembourg[13]	Opportunity[18]
Macau
Malawi	Opportunity[18][45]
Malaysia	Sustainability[18]
Marshall Islands[17]
Mauritius[46]
Mexico[22]
Monaco[13]	Opportunity[45]
Mongolia[47]
Montenegro	Sustainability[18]
Morocco	Opportunity[18]
Mozambique[48]
Myanmar	Opportunity[18]
Nauru[17]
Nepal
Netherlands[13]	Sustainability[18][26]
New Zealand[13]	Sustainability[18]
Nigeria[28]
North Korea
Norway	Opportunity[18][49]	680 sqm exhibition space[49]	The architects are Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Expomobilia and FiveCurrents[49]
Oman[13]	Mobility[18]
Pakistan	Opportunity	2,900 sqm	The Pakistan pavilion Hidden Treasures in the Opportunity zone will occupy 2,900-sqm, and is being designed with the potential to be a legacy Pakistan Culture and Heritage Centre.[50]
Palestine[21]		1250 sqm	The Palestine pavilion will be between the Saudi and UAE pavilion and occupy 1250 square metres[51][52]
Panama
Paraguay
Philippines	Sustainability[18]
Poland[13]	Mobility[18]
Portugal	Sustainability[18]
Peru	Mobility[18]
Qatar
Romania	Sustainability[18]
Russia	Mobility[15][18][53]	More than 4500 sqm	The Russia pavilion is planned to be 27 metres tall and cover more than 4500 square metres. It is being designed by Tchoban SPEECH and Simpateka Entertainment[54]
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis[17]	Sustainability[18]
Saint Lucia[17]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino	Opportunity[55]
Saudi Arabia	Opportunity[18][56]	13,000 square meters[56]
Senegal[28]
Serbia
Sierra Leone[28]
Singapore	Sustainability[18][26]
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands[17]
Somalia[28][17]
South Africa
South Korea	Mobility[15]
Spain[13]	Sustainability[18]
Sri Lanka	Opportunity[18]
Sudan	Mobility[18]		Sudan's pavilion is inspired by Nubian houses[57]
Suriname	Sustainability[18]
Sweden	Sustainability[18]
Switzerland[13][17]	Opportunity[18][45]
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand[13]	Mobility[18]
Togo[28][17]
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan	Mobility[18]
Tuvalu[17]
Uganda
Ukraine[21]	Opportunity[18][45]
United Arab Emirates[58]	Opportunity[18]
United Kingdom	Opportunity[18][45]
United States	Mobility[18]
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vatican City[13]
Venezuela
Vietnam[14]
Yemen[17]
Zimbabwe			The untapped jewel of Africa will include a replica of Great Zimbabwe[59]

2017 IPM meeting was held in October 2018.

2018 IPM meeting was held on 26–27 Nov 2018 hosted by Reem Al Hashimi, the Managing Director of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The expo will have a theme called "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". The expo will also have three subthemes: opportunity, mobility and sustainability,[5] each with its own pavilion. The Opportunity pavilion is designed by AGi Architects,[60] Mobility by Foster and Partners,[61] and Sustainability by Grimshaw Architects.[62]

In 2021 it was announced that the three thematic pavilions would open for a limited time before the full opening of the expo.[63] The Sustainability Pavilion Terra opened on 22 January 2021 and will stay open until to 10 April 2021.[63]

Expo 2020 organisers have invited UAE residents to visit the Expo 2020 site as it nears completion. Visitors would board colorful Expo 2020 branded coaches at various pick up points across the UAE. The bus journey includes an introduction to the history of World Expos. At the site, the visitors would disembark at the Visitor Centre for snacks and activities, followed by a tour of the site and its iconic architecture.[67]

The emirate's tourism and hospitality sectors will face new opportunities and challenges in hosting the event. Najeeb Mohammad Saleh, head of the planning research at Dubai Municipality said "We looked at three different scenarios – low, medium and rapid. We have adopted the medium-growth scenario, and expect the population by 2020 to be about 2.8 million."[68] The upcoming Expo 2020 means that most premium hotels will be operating near full capacity through to 2021. Benjamin Moore Middle East is focussed on the UAE's luxury hospitality segment as the moment. By helping hotels upgrade the paints and coatings they use to more durable products, while simultaneously helping them reduce their maintenance costs.[69]

In order to raise awareness about smart recycling, Expo 2020 will organize nationwide bus tours with the waste partner Dulsco.[70]

The emergency centre includes an isolation room, emergency care room, ambulances and helicopter services. Rob Cooling, vice president of health, safety and environment at Expo 2020 Dubai stated in a media interview that equipment and preventive measures are in place to manage emergencies. The centre is equipped to provide immediate care and stability in the 'golden hour'. The golden hour in emergency care means the first sixty minutes after an injury or illness when medical care may be most effective.[71]

In November 2019, the UAE permitted Israeli passport holders to enter the country during Expo 2020. Israelis were allowed to have their own pavilion at the event and to even visit the country afterwards.[72] In August 2020, the UAE and Israel agreed to fully normalize relations, superseding the previous agreement.

A French luxury brand Cartier was expected to set up a women-centric pavilion in association with prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, in October 2020. Clooney was to lend her voice to the initiative to discuss the role of women in society and ways to tackle gender inequality, while celebrating female achievers.[73]

Once the first city had lodged a bid with the BIE, other cities had six months to respond. In early 2011, Izmir of Turkey and Ayutthaya of Thailand submitted bids to the BIE, initiating the six-month window for other cities to bid. When this window closed on 2 November 2011, there were five prospective cities, with Dubai making a last minute entry. The BIE voted and selected the host city on 27 November 2013.

Five cities originally bid for the slot for a world's fair in 2020, with four remaining: Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Yekaterinburg, Russia; Izmir, Turkey; or São Paulo, Brazil. Expo 2020 will represent a first as a Middle Eastern destination will be hosting the event for the first time.[83]

The following cities lodged bids to the BIE for hosting the 2020 EXPO:

• Izmir, Turkey
• Yekaterinburg, Russia[84][85]
• São Paulo, Brazil[86][87]
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates[88]

São Paulo was eliminated from contention after the first round of votes. Izmir was knocked out in the second. Yekaterinburg lost to Dubai in the third and final round of voting.

The normal 1-day tickets for the expo cost AED 120, while the 3-day tickets are AED 260. There is a 50% discount on entry for students of any age and youth aged 6 to 17. The expo gives free access to children up to 5 years and adults 65 years & above. Disabled persons are also allowed free entry and a caregiver can also visit with them at half the ticket price.[100]

• Official website
• Expo 2020 page at the BIE
• European Patent Office
• Official stats for UAE population
• ExpoBids.com Noticias sobre las Ofertas de la Feria Mundial de Todo El Mundo.
• 2020 Dubai (BIE World Expo) – approximately 95 links
• Expo 2020 Dubai – YouTube User
• Emarati (Dubai Expo 2020 Song) – YouTube, music video, 3m50s
• Impact of EXPO 2020 on UAE Business
• Dubai World Expo