More than US$18 billion believed to have been allocated to the delayed event, which will happen from 1 October, 2021 to 31 March, 2022. Photo Credit: Expo 2020 Dubai
The long-awaited Expo 2020 Dubai opened on 1 October, with a record 192 countries represented at the first World Expo in the region, and global visitors attending for education, business and cultural immersions alike.
Happening over six months until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to welcome millions of visitors from around the world.
For the uninitiated, the Al Wasl Plaza is the 'heart' of the Expo 2020 site, hosting some 60 live daily celebrations and parades, and in the evenings experiences that connect its stage with the dome’s 360-degree projection screen — the largest of its kind in the world.
A short walk away is the Dubai Exhibition Centre — the heart of the business events community — hosting trade shows, association congresses and conferences, and a wide range of other meetings.
Attendees can also sign up for Thrive Together — a new business-focused programme which will offer curated networking, knowledge-sharing and thought-leadership events.
Of the more than 200 pavilions which include those representing each participating country, the Expo's three main sub-themes — Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability — each have a dedicated pavilion as well.
The mega event has also received the ‘ISO 20121:2012 Event Sustainability Management Systems’ certification, affirming Expo organisers' success in embedding sustainability across the event's entire lifecycle.
This extends to after Expo Dubai 2020 ends its run next year. District 2020 will live on as a "human-centric smart city" which will reuse at least 80% of the Expo-built infrastructure, and transform into "an integrated mixed-use community," according to the official site.