This October onwards, all eyes will be on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Dubai intensifies its campaign, one year before it hosts the Expo 2020 following a bid that it won in November 2013. The run-up to the world fair, christened — Expo 2020 Dubai, has seen massive visibility campaigns across different platforms — huge hoardings across the UAE, social media campaigns and even the massive branding across the Emirates’ A380 and B777 fleet. This, no doubt, is going to be the most talked-about and widely-publicised event in the Middle East next year, with Dubai establishing itself as a hotbed of activity for the coming six months. A total of 190 countries from around the world will participate, and for the first time in the World Expo history, each participating country will have its own pavilion. At Expo 2020 Dubai, pavilions will be organised according to the Expo’s key sub-themes, instead of being organised geographically.
The Main Objectives
As with every Expo, which takes place once every five years, there is a central theme, around which participating stakeholders choose to express themselves. Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, which is particularly significant given that it is the first World Expo to be hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. This edition has also highlighted some sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability and will feature more than 200 participants that include countries, corporations, MNCs as well as academic institutions.
Expo 2020 Dubai expects to attract 25 million visits, with over 70 per cent projected to come from outside the UAE. The mission of this event is to strengthen existing industries by catalysing economic diversification, while acting as a platform for the development of new sectors, with a focus on inspiring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Expo 2020 Dubai is also working with partners, participants and government entities to contribute to new business generation, GDP growth and job creation across the region. This event has been designed to stimulate both inward and outward investment.
Mission Sustainability
With sustainability being the word on everybody’s lips these days, how is Expo 2020 Dubai doing its part? The Expo 2020 Dubai team is working to deliver one of the most sustainable World Expos in history. For starters, there is an entire pavilion dedicated to sustainability, which in itself, is a model for buildings to be self-sustainable. All the expo-built buildings have been designed to meet or exceed LEED Gold standards for water and energy use. The venue is also committed to segregating 85 per cent of all waste including municipal solid waste, construction waste and decommissioning waste. On a broader level, all visitors of the expo will be made aware of issues relating to sustainability. Keeping in mind, this vision of sustainable practices, the site will be immediately transformed into District 2020, a well-connected and integrated urban development area. This area is also earmarked to cater to Dubai’s MICE segment in the years to come.
Economic Impact
Not only is Expo 2020 Dubai going to boost visitor numbers in the UAE but also its economic impact that will be seen across different segments. Expo 2020 Dubai has ushered in a new generation of business people and has gone beyond tourism into industries such as logistics, transport, construction and real-estate by encouraging job creation, fostering entrepreneurship and supporting businesses of all sizes. The idea, here, is to boost local and regional economies. Co-located with Expo 2020, the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) will also make a significant contribution to the long-term economic impact of the Expo. With 45,000 sqm of programmable space that can be configured for all types of MICE events, the facility will allow delegates to access a global gathering of nations, companies, multilateral organisations and educational institutions, throughout the duration of the event.
expo2020dubai.com
