The Greatest Show on Earth?

Billed as ‘the greatest show on earth’, it’s nearly one month since EXPO 2020 DUBAI concluded. Many years in the planning, with the opening delayed due to the pandemic, was this really the greatest show on earth?

Some facts about Expo 2020 Dubai:

• Expo 2020’s theme - “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.
• 192 participating countries showcased their history and the future in standalone pavilions.
• The first Expo to be held in the MESA region (Middle East, Africa & South Asia).
• Expo 2020, was the 3rd largest event after the Olympics and the soccer World Cup.

• Expo Site: 4.38 hectares, that’s 4 times the area of the world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall.
• The site was designed in the shape of 3 petals, each a ‘district’: ‘Opportunity’, ‘Mobility’ and ‘Sustainability’.
• A huge ecological project – Expo 2020 focused on sustainability and energy saving, ensuring a significant reduction in carbon footprint, water and energy consumption.
• Since opening it’s doors in October 2021, more than 24 million people visited Expo 2020 from over 178 countries, in a six month period.
• There were more than 200 food and beverage outlets and 50+ ?international cuisines offering food from across the globe.

My Expo 2020 Dubai experience

Neoskill wanted to visit EXPO 2020 Dubai , as an imporant step in our expansion of operations into United Arab Emirates (UAE). Working with the Department of International Trade and their colleagues at BCB (UAE) Neoskill felt Expo 2020 Dubai was a great way to understand and align thinking with new contacts in the region. Whilst meeting with clients and building new working relationships in UAE, my colleague and I made 2 visits to Dubai during the six months when Expo 2020 was taking place, and spent 3 days exploring the site and the pavilions.

My first visit was in Oct 2021. I was blown away with the enormity of the event. Like a Disney theme park, Expo 2020 covered an expansive area, with nearly 200 pavilions where countries showcased their past achievements, current projects and future visions. Each pavilion was situated in one of the three districts: 'Opportunity', 'Sustainability' and 'Mobility'. Each district had it’s own featured pavilion and the Expo site's central plaza housed the Al Wasl Dome, a domed centrepiece and visual marvel, with a 360 degree projection stage.

Using the Expo 2020’s mobile app, I was able to enjoy exclusive features, and plan my journey around the site. With so many pavilions to explore, I had to prioritise, and even with 3 days at Expo, it was impossible to visit all the pavilions and navigate the whole site!

?Some of my high points:

United Kingdom pavilion: Visitors could donate a word at the UK Pavilion, which used artificial intelligence to create poetry that was projected onto the pavilion’s facade. This interactive venture was inspired by a project from (late) Professor Stephen Hawking.

Switzerland Pavilion: I hiked in the Switzerland pavilion, literally, and ended the journey with an authentic fondue.

India Pavilion: India welcomed visitors with a festive atmosphere; various events were planned around festivals and I was lucky to visit on Diwali and enjoy some sweet culinary delights. India showcased their space program and celebrated the diversity of the country, including architecture, traditions and even Bollywood.

I enjoyed meeting representatives from India's industry giants, Tata Steel and Reliance Insurance.

Making connections at the India pavilion allowed me to visit Tata Steel offices in Dubai, during my second visit, to discuss Neoskill/Tata Steel collaborative projects as part of Neoskill's exapansion in the region.

Saudi Arabia Pavilion: Saudi Arabia won the ‘Best Pavilion’ award at Expo 2020 Dubai. In my opinion this was well deserved - this was my favourite pavilion. The Saudi pavilion had the world's longest interactive ‘water curtain’, the largest interactive light floor and the biggest interactive digital screen mirror, as recognised by the Guinness Book of Records!

United Arab Emirates pavilion: The UAE pavilion was shaped like a falcon in flight and featured carbon fibre wings that fully opened to reveal built-in solar panels. This pavilion was designed in honour of the history of falconry, reflecting the bird's agility and the strength of the country and its people; signifying the cultural symbol of the country and it's part in Emirati tradition. Inside the pavilion there were inteactive displays depicting the story of the UAE, from it's roots, movement of people and capturing the innovative spirit of the Emiratis.

DP World: As a major sponsor, the DP World pavilion displayed the logistics facilities around Dubai and worldwide. Interesting and most significant exhibit for me was the Virgin Hyperloop - the future of travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. An amazing non-contact superspeed 'train' cutting down the travel time between the two Emirates from 1 hour to 10 minutes!

Germany pavilion: 'Campus Germany', featured themed areas including The Energy Lab, The Future City Lab, and The Biodiversity Lab. An interactive joy for all visitors. Lanyards were programmed on entry to personalise your visit throughout the pavilion.

Mobility Pavilion: A feat of engineering and design to feast the eyes from outside, and inside visitors experienced displays of giant waxworks and interactive history of mobility and world connectivity.

I enjoyed the huge water feature, where water cascaded down 4 storey-high walls, and at points seemed to defy gravity. The waterfall displays danced to music, throughout the day and delighted visitors in the evening with an accompanied light show. The walls of water surrounded a dramatic fire display centre-piece.

Following the conclusion of Expo 2020 the site is to become part of a 3 million square meter development called District 2020, designed to include commercial and residential spaces. Committed to the theme of sustainability, 'The Sustainability Pavilion' will become a children and science centre, 'The Mobility Pavilion' will become an office building. 'The Opportunity Pavilion' will be rebuilt as a mixed-use space and the UAE Pavilion will become the UAE's cultural centre. ?

Expo 2020, wasn't without it's challenges, for example, the long queues that I experienced, despite using the app, during my visit in the final week of Expo. In my opinion, however, Expo 2020 Dubai lived up to it’s promise of being ‘the greatest show on earth’, exhibiting culture, tradition, music, food and visions of the future from many nations, all in one place. The ideas and implementation of the latest technological advances, were quite staggering: artificial intelligence, artificial reality and virtual reality all in play at the various pavilions, whilst overall keeping focussed on sustainability, resource management and conservation... 'connecting minds and creating the future'.

If you missed it, you can still visit Expo Dubai 2020, virtually , but quite frankly, it isn't the same online!

From my experience in Dubai, I’d highly recommend the next World Expo. Maybe I'll see you in Osaka, Kansai in Japan , in 2025!

?