The masterplan of Dubai’s Expo 2020.

Expos have been home to some of the world’s most iconic structures, such as the Crystal Palace in London and Paris’ gorgeous Eiffel Tower.

Dubai, set to host the mega event in 2020, is gearing towards preparing the 438-hectare site that includes the dedicated gated 150-hectare Dubai Expo area, and additional residential, hospitality and logistics zones.

The masterplan for Expo 2020 was revealed at the recently held two-day Arab Media Forum at Dubai World Trade Centre. Visitors were given a glimpse of the Dubai Expo site upon completion, through augmented reality and leading-edge digital technology.

According to the masterplan, the Dubai Expo pavilions will be dedicated to sub-themes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, under the parent theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. The three sub-themes will seamlessly be integrated into the urban design, infrastructure, delivery, operations and legacy of Expo 2020. The Dubai Expo site will spread across an area of two square kilometres, around the Al Wasl meeting plaza where the heart of the mega event, which will showcase the three Theme Districts, each featuring its own Theme Pavilion.

Running for six months, between October 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021, Expo 2020 is anticipated to draw in approximately 25 million visitors from across the world, who will be offered an unforgettable experience with attractions, services and amenities.

With sustainability underlying the heart of the Dubai Expo strategy, public transport systems will be used to a great extent to deliver visitors to the site. Moreover, an extension to the existing Red Line of Dubai Metro will be constructed along with a dedicated station on the Expo site.

A bespoke low-emission bus service will transport visitors to and from Expo 2020 from designated points in key areas. Here, passengers will undergo checks and screening prior to boarding the Expo Rider buses. Additionally, an autonomous people mover system is expected to assist visitor movement around the site as well.

Aside from attracting global attention to Dubai, the impact of the Dubai Expo on the economy will be enormous. Over the next six years, almost 275,000 jobs are estimated to be created in service of the event, across myriad sectors such as tourism, aviation, construction, real estate, infrastructure, logistics, transportation, hospitality and retail.

Spanning six months, Expo 2020 will launch the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebration and serve as a springboard from which to create a progressive and sustainable future for the country.