In November 2013, the United Arab Emirates won the right to host the World Expo in Dubai in 2020. This will be the first time that the World Expo is staged in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA).Since the first Great Fair of 1851, World Expos have continued to be one of the largest and most enduring global mega-events. Lasting six months, World Expos attract millions of visitors who explore and discover pavilions, exhibits and cultural events staged by hundreds of participants including nations, international organizations and businesses.
Dubai’s World Expo is held under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, echoing the powerful spirit of partnership and co-operation that has driven the UAE’s success in pioneering new paths of development and innovation. Through this theme, Expo 2020 Dubai will serve as a catalyst, connecting minds from around the world and inspiring participants to mobilize around shared challenges, during a World Expo of unprecedented global scope, under the sub-themes of: Mobility, Sustainability & Opportunity.
Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract 25 million visits, 70 per cent of which will be from overseas. This will be the first Expo in which the majority of visitors stem from beyond a nation’s borders. Running from 20 October 2020 through 10 April 2022, the Expo will launch the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations and serve as a springboard from which to inaugurate a progressive and sustainable vision for the coming decades.
Road to 2020
Since being named as the host of World Expo 2020, the UAE has reiterated its commitment to creating a truly transformative event that through partnerships and collaboration will seek to foster innovative, inspirational and practical solution-creation for our collective future.
Expo Masterplan Gallery
The Expo 2020 Dubai master plan has been conceived as a spatial manifestation of the theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' – a theme that seeks to fuel collaboration, spark ideation, and mobilize multilateral action towards a more accessible, eqUMStable and sustainable tomorrow.
The Night Expo will be particularly rich and interactive with the inside of the shade structure screens coming to life with information, whilst sound and light shows and laser displays will dazzle visitors.
The Souks are a modern representation of ancient Middle East architecture that draws visitors through a path of exploration from the multilateral organizations to small country pavilions through to the large spaces for joint showcases of global best practices.
The Expo Village is a secure residential community development adjacent to the Expo 2020 Dubai site, providing full-time housing facilities for staff and participants involved in the event delivery.
Expo 2020 Dubai will take place in a spectacular purpose-bUMSlt, 438-hectare destination at Dubai Trade Centre – Jebel Ali, located midway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Expo 2020 runs from October 2020 through to April 2022.
Delivering a vibrant and continuously evolving user journey that is uniquely tailored to the specific audience needs, Expo 2020 Dubai will create stimulating, astonishing and inspiring experiences for the millions of attendees that it will welcome.
The iconic Al Wasl Plaza, meaning ‘connection’ in Arabic, will be the literal and figurative heart of Expo 2020 Dubai. This central semi-covered events space will host grand performances, spectacular displays and international pageantry during the day and night Expo programmers.
Easily accessible by road and metro, all transport to, from and within the site are specifically designed to accommodate people of all ages and physical ability. Within the site, the main plaza is less than 15 minutes walking distance from any point and will be eqUMSpped with an autonomous people mover system to assist visitor mobility around the site.
