Dubai – The Expo 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will begin in October 2020 but Dubai wants the main facilities conlcuded for 12 months of testing. During the visit of the ANBA reporter this month to the event’s office, we could see the progress of works in the district of Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali. The exhibition area is 4.38 squared kilometers, and a large window in the administration office shows some of the main foundations already erected, including the Sustainability area’s (pictured, left corner), where Brazil’s Pavilion will be.
With this event, that occurs every five years but for the first time in the Middle East, Dubai expects to receive 25 million visitors, 70% of which are foreigners. The Sustainability Pavilion project includes a sustainable water and energy system, using solar energy and water collected from the air. The area will be later turned into a children and science center.
The space assigned for Brazil already has an architectural project, selected in a contest. The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX-Brasil) is responsible for Brazil’s area. APEX reported that the contract with the Expo organizers was celebrated and the Brazilian participation is confirmed. “We are well ahead of schedule. The only pending issue is nominating the general commissary, which is due to the government transition,” said to ANBA Adriana Teixeira, manager responsible for the Expo 2020 project at APEX.
Legacy
Besides Sustainability, the exposition will feature two large areas: Opportunity and Mobility. Inside them, pavilions from 190 countries will be distributed according to which one is more in line with its themes and attractions. The investment in the exposition construction is estimated to be AED 38 billion (USD 10.34 billion), and the fair itself will yield AED 23 billion (USD 6.26 billion). The most benefited sectors are expected to be tourism, communications, financial services, transports, real estate, and retail.
The project’s idea is that the entire Expo 2020 space will be translated in legacy for the emirate, following the example of former expositions such as 1889 in Paris, France, when Eiffel Tower was built, becoming the city’s symbol. The event in Dubai may yield benefits estimated in AED 62 billion (USD 16.88 billion) between 2021 and 2030. The organizes talks about four pillars founding this legacy: physical, economic, social, and reputational. At least 80% of the constructions for the expo will be turned into the so-called District 2020, a commercial and residential neighborhood.
Two companies have already confirmed presence in the future district. The digital consulting company Accenture and the tech company Siemens. Both are Expo 2020 official partners. According to the expo organizers, Siemens will establish a global headquarters for ports and airports logistics in the district. Acceture will open a digital hub in the area.
Check below air images made by drones and released by the Expo 2020 organizers about the progress of the works. The first one was recorded before September 2018, while the second was recorded in February 2019:
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
