Between October 2020 and April 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai will take place at a purpose-built venue, in the southern part of the city. The event will bring together 190 participating countries, and each of these, in an unprecedented move, will have its own pavilion.
India at Expo 2020 Dubai
The close ties, both economic and cultural, between India and the UAE need no introduction. The latter has been the largest source of foreign remittances to India, accounting for more than 25 per cent of India’s total annual collections. This is also due to the fact that the UAE has the second largest population of non-resident Indians, 3.3 million, after the USA. India is also the UAE’s most important source market for tourism, with over 1,000 flights operating between the countries per week. It therefore comes as no surprise that the India Pavilion at Expo 2020 is one of the most important ones. Indian businesses represent one of the largest contingents on Expo 2020’s Online Marketplace (OMP), an interesting, platform, displaying all of the event’s tenders. More than 25 per cent of the international businesses registered on this platform are from India.
At Expo 2020, the India Pavilion will be located in the aptly named Opportunity District, and will be one of the largest country pavilions at the event. Expo 2020’s media team tells us that the India Pavilion is based on a collaborative concept between private and public sectors. Some of those featuring in the pavilion are the leading industries, that have partnered with central and state governments.
Every world Expo has an underlying theme around which it is conceptualised. This season, the theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, being underpinned by a sub-theme of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The India Pavilion will showcase India’s 5000-year-old civilisation and the resulting cultural and social ramifications over the centuries. In keeping with the underlying theme of Expo 2020 Dubai, the India Pavilion’s objective is to showcase a modern side of India, and to portray it as a veritable economic powerhouse. Also, on the cards is a mission to display India’s prowess in terms of innovation and startups in tech industries, such as artificial intelligence, telecom, renewable energy, information technology, pharmaceuticals and even space.
- The Expo 2020 team has a representation of 72 nationalities
- The Expo site will showcase more than 200 F&B outlets serving a maximum of 5,00,000 meals a day
- The Expo 2020 venue promises to accommodate up to 3,00,000 people per day
- The Dubai Metro has built a dedicated metro station close to the venue, on the Route 2020 line
- There are 192 country pavilions spread across the venue
- After Expo 2020, the site will be converted into District 2020, an integrated community, which will reuse 80 per cent of the Expo’s built structures
Emirates has branded its aircraft with the Expo 2020 logo, and there are some special livery aircraft with the Expo 2020 artwork on the fuselage. The ring-like logo is an artistic representation of the UAE as a hub that connects the world.
