Expo 2020 Dubai finally opened today at a massive site in the city’s desert, representing another milestone in the event industry’s recovery as the largest event to take place since the beginning of the pandemic. In keeping with the guidelines being implemented by most major events, all adult visitors will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.
The six-month, $7 billion World’s Fair, which will run through March 2022, expects to attract 25 million visitors during its run and will play an important role in Dubai’s — and the world’s — economic rebound following the Covid-19 related shutdowns of the past 18 months.
World Expos have been a global tradition since 1851, but this year’s is the first ever to be held in the Middle East. Like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the expo has kept the year 2020 in its name despite the fact that it was postponed by a year.
Expo 2020 Dubai includes a hybrid element in the form of Expo 2020 TV and a dedicated virtual expo website, both of which livestreamed the event’s opening celebrations, which included performances by Andrea Bocelli and Ellie Goulding.
Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of the Dubai World Trade Center, posted on LinkedIn to commemorate the occasion: “Remarkable moment for the world to come thru the pandemic with this event and esp the Arab world on it's [sic] first ever #expo2020 here since 1851. Dignified opening. Delighted to be in #dubai #uae to be a part of this great comeback and historic period of friendship, collaboration and discovery.”
The expo will feature the latest innovations, discoveries, and tech from over 190 exhibiting countries, each of which have their own pavilion. The expo’s pavilions are divided into three districts based around different themes: sustainability, mobility, and opportunity.
For virtual visitors, Expo TV will provide daily coverage, highlights, interviews, and exclusive features. The virtual expo website also allows users to explore the expo map, learn more about each pavilion, and access a variety of different virtual experiences, including a Minecraft version of Expo 2020.
Once the expo concludes in March of next year, Dubai plans to transition the site into District 2020, a “sustainable, human-centric smart city” that will reuse at least 80% of the infrastructure that was built for the expo, including LEED Gold and Platinum-certified buildings.