Expo 2020 – Reimaging a world that works for all!

November 27, 2013, I remember the date as a thrilling time. I was just newly appointed as the CEO of Siemens in the Middle East. We were celebrating with family the start of this new adventure. On the same day, we heard the news that Dubai was selected to host the 2020 World Expo, to become the first Middle Eastern city to organize the event in its over 150-year history. We were certain that that United Arab Emirates (UAE) would make this a remarkable global event, one that would resonate for years beyond its closing ceremony.

One of the greatest privileges of my job has been meeting with and learning from the colleagues and partners every day who are imagining the impossible and innovating to better their communities and society.?

With just less than one week for its official opening, I’ve been reflecting on the journey and the solid partnership between Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy.

“I strongly believe that technology on its own is just one piece of the puzzle – it’s the people and passion behind the technology that truly bring it to life. This is exactly what happened with Expo 2020 Dubai”

It is?perhaps the boldest project yet; building the world’s smartest city at the Dubai Expo, and?a chance to reimagine sustainable infrastructure. It was truly incredible to be part of it and to try to push the frontiers of what’s possible!

It is an honor to be part of this remarkable project, and we thought hard on the areas where we could contribute to making this Expo 2020 exceptional. Following months of deliberation, discussions, and determination, we settled on two areas where we can make a strong impact: digitalization and sustainable energy transition.

April 12, 2017, was another remarkable day. We were honored to witness the signing, between His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and Siemens, as proud Premier Partner for Intelligent Infrastructure & Operations, of an agreement to provide a wide range of innovative solutions, technologies, and products to help plan, build and operate an exceptional Expo 2020.?

Real, game-changing innovation!?

This was the basis for another landmark partnership with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Expo 2020 Dubai: On February, 12, 2018, we signed an agreement with HE Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, to develop a pilot project for the region’s first solar-driven hydrogen electrolysis facility at DEWA’s outdoor testing facilities at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

It was truly inspirational to see this project coming to life. Three months ago, we celebrated the much-anticipated inauguration of the industrial scale green hydrogen project. This landmark project marked the culmination of years of collaboration between Siemens Energy, DEWA and Expo 2020 Dubai. The project not only puts the UAE at the forefront of the energy transformation, but it also demonstrates the potential of the hydrogen commercialization as a carbon-free solution.

Now seeing the hydrogen fueling station in Expo 2020, it’s an example of the entire value-chain creation. But the journey is now just beginning. Although this trailblazing project is just a pilot, the operational experience gained from running the facility in this environment, climate, and under different conditions, will be profound. It will have an impact on the whole region.

“There’s certainly no shortage of vision for the future when it comes to the UAE”

Personally, I’d also like to think that we’ll look back on the partnership we created with DEWA and Expo 2020 Dubai, as a pivotal moment in the Middle East’s renewable energy revolution.

And, as Siemens Energy we always walk the talk: We are moving our offices in Dubai to the site of Expo 2020 after the event ends.

Projects like these deepen my belief that a better world is better for business. For us at Siemens Energy, whether it is designing bridging solutions that help our customers along their decarbonization journey, creating a whole ecosystem for energy transition, or whether it is creating with our partners new solutions that didn’t exist before, our core purpose and mission is to energize people and societies. Our partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai was another example of the importance of co-creation for innovation.

It’s been an incredible learning opportunity to work on this project. My hope is that it will bring people together and ‘connect great minds’ to discuss what matters to the world, to spark new innovations and to imagine a world that works for everyone, and doesn’t leave people or countries behind!

So, is hydrogen a fuel of the region’s future? Potentially, yes…Do I consider it one of the most exciting projects I worked on? Absolutely… Will it boost the renewables revolution? Watch this space…

Let another 50 years of action and delivery begin in the UAE!