Expo-2020 is from October 20, 2020 until April 10, 2021
Hayyakum everyone, let’s welcome the world together. Hayyakum means, extending the warm hospitality of the UAE to all. It’s about spreading excitement and providing ways for everyone across the UAE to be part of Expo 2020 by welcoming the world to this beautiful country. Expo-2020 will begin on October 20, 2020, and will run till April 10, 2021. The grand event will be welcoming more than 25 million international and local visitors to the massive Expo site.
Expo-2020 site is 4.38 Km2, which is equivalent to 600 football pitches. It will host 190+ countries in one place within 6 months of excitement. Expo-2020 is about celebrating culture, collaboration, and innovation, leaving a meaningful and lasting legacy behind for the next generations. This will be the first World Expo ever held in the region. Expo-2020 will have 3 districts:
Opportunity: Explore how you can make an impact on human development
Mobility: Discover human progress through physical and digital realms
Sustainability: Embark on a journey for our planet and choose your path for our shared future
We had an opportunity to attend the Media Iftar at the Expo site yesterday, UAE’s top media professionals were at the site to cover the event and we were the first ones to have visited Expo-2020 site. The iftar was hosted at the Sustainability district which is almost ready. We learned many interesting facts about the upcoming Expo which looks extremely exciting. We gathered at the Car park just outside the main office and had buses organized for a media tour in the vicinity. Loads of cranes, sands, and pebbles but the construction looks almost ready to be delivered this October in 2019. This will be exactly one year before the extravaganza.
Five million cubic meters of sands were removed from the site since they started ground-breaking in 2015. 40,000 workers are currently working day and night on different shifts towards the goal of accomplishment. 100 million-man hours are finished to complete the site till now. The Expo-officials consider the workers as their partners in delivering the product on time, hence they are considering their food, living, insurance and organize lots of activities for them. Many championships were recently organized for them, including cricket, these activities are part of their well-being while they are away from home.
In the middle of the Expo-site is UAE pavilion, which is inspired by the National bird, “Falcon”. The infrastructure is showcasing Falcon wings and once it is ready, the guests will be able to witness the moving infrastructure as Falcon feathers, the idea itself is so overwhelming.
Dubai Metro is working hard to finish the metro line which will connect Metro from Sheikh Zayed Road to Expo-2020 site. Once ready, the dedicated Red- Metro line will carry 140,000 passengers to the Expo-site multiples times every day which is highest in the world. There will be no cars allowed close to the Expo-site, the car park will be located far away from the main districts, special buses and buggies will be arranged by Expo for the visitors. The best will be to use the Metro rides then.
There will be the largest basement space available in the world, it will be used for the logistics during the event and later it will be converted into an indoor city offering new venues and opportunities. There will be 8000 wi-fi access points to allow 50,000 users to connect at one time. This will also be the highest in the world. Etisalat announced back in 2018 that they will be offering 5G services during Expo-2020. With a speed of 1.3 Gbps, 5G will help its users to download and watch 4K videos without any lag. The 5G technology will enable users to stream live 4K resolution video anywhere at any time, with virtually no lag as it is 20 times faster than 4G. Expo 2020 Dubai will deploy more than 200km of fiber, 8,000 WiFi access points, 2,000 5G indoor antennas, and 2,000 4G antennae.
The helipad will be built on the side to welcome the high-profile guests and celebrities. Expo-2020 will also host Entertainment shows with big celebrities and chef pavilion will be added to the districts. There will be more than 200 restaurants to be rented on the site. After the event Sustainability pavilion will become the Science Center.
A huge Convention facility is being built next to the Metro station which will host the large convention during the Expo and later it will become the permanent home to future Trade shows and exhibitions in Dubai, it will be managed by the Dubai World Trade Center. Prosopis Cineraria, commonly known as the ghaf tree, is widely regarded as the national tree of the UAE. Thousand of Ghaf trees will be planted in the Expo site which symbolises Expo 2020’s message of unity and collaboration.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority are extending their support by preparing 3 different substations for each district. Once ready it will be able to supply power to the site. Expo 2020 Dubai aims to have 50% of its power needs supplied from a variety of renewable energy sources, including ground-breaking projects of its own, such as the Sustainability Pavilion. The total cost of DEWA’s electricity projects to support Expo 2020 Dubai will be AED 420 million. The substations are called Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity, named after the three subthemes of Expo 2020 Dubai. “This will result in Dubai having the lowest carbon footprint in the world, and advance the Emirate’s position as a smart, competitive, integrated and interconnected city, with a high-tech infrastructure to boost the social and economic development and be counted among the world’s best.”
We at Hozpitality group are very excited to welcome the world to Dubai next year, we are hopeful that it will huge business opportunities for the companies and all of us. We highly trust the vision of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum and certain that this World Expo- 2020 will leave a bigger mark for the upcoming generations and will be very successful indeed.
Published by Vandana Bhatt
I am a recruitment consultant, market researcher and marketer by profession. A passionate blogger and content creator. Technology is proving to be my interest and strength. I believe in active learning and reinvesting my time to educate myself. With my 11 years of experience in hospitality recruitment, I have helped and guided several Top Executives and professionals to obtain their dream jobs. I continue to be a part of the largest growing hospitality industry. I am an ardent traveler and photography lover!! Writing has been a part of my life since my early ages, it is a tool to express myself. I dream to be a motivational speaker or a coach in upcoming years. I share my life experiences, travel, restaurant / hotel reviews, life, kids, festivals and much more through this platform. You can find me on Social Media:
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Meela Seenarain
Dubai, United Arab Emirates UAE