The first EXPO in the Middle East
EXPO 2020 Dubai Facts
Short Facts, Links & Intro
Find out all the facts about EXPO 2020 Dubai here!
At a glance
The official logo of EXPO 2020 Dubai. Other versions below.
Short Facts
- Motto "Connecting minds, creating the future"
- 192 Participating countries
- 181 Days
- 60+ Events / Day
- 25Million expected visit(s)
- 438 Hectare (size of the EXPO site)
- 7 Billion dollars (total cost of EXPO 2020).
Social Media & Official Links
Links
Links to the Official Websites of EXPO 2020 Dubai and to the official social media accounts:
Official website
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF EXPO 2020 DUBAI
Social media
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS of EXPO 2020 Dubai
EXPO 2020 social media channels at Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Co.
Intro EXPO 2020 Dubai
Find out all the facts and important information about EXPO 2020 Dubai here:
EXPO 2020 Dubai is the first world exhibition, which is used in the 170-year history of EXPOs (since 1851) in the Middle East and thus in the Arab and MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region.
Here you get the complete overview of EXPO 2020 Dubai.
You will find all the important info and facts about dates, opening hours, tickets and free tickets.
You'll learn more about the EXPO 2020 motto, the meaning of the logo, the most important country and theme pavilions, and the most popular mascots.
On this page you will also get the best and latest guides to EXPO 2020 Dubai and you will find the EXPO highlights, the most beautiful pavilions, the biggest innovations and the best food!
In retrospect, we also look here at the competitors against which Dubai prevailed in 2013.
EXPO 2020 Details & Figures
All facts about EXPO 2020 Dubai
EXPO 2020 Facts, Figures & Info
FAQs, Facts &
all the numbers
How many visitors are expected? How many people have been there in the meantime? How many countries are participating in EXPO 2020 in Dubai? And what are the most important questions surrounding the mega-event?
Official name & EXPO category (B.I.E.)
Official designation
EXPO 2020 DUBAI
Official B.I.E. Category
World EXPO /
International Registered Exhibition
Place, Continent & Translation
Host country
Dubai / United Arab Emirates
Host city
Dubai
Place & Continent
Asia / Near East /
MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia)
Translations
HOW WILL THE EXPO BE IN ARABIC TALKED OUT?
EXPO 2020 = "EXPO Eishrin Eishrin"
- German: EXPO 2020
(Pronunciation: EXPO Twenty Twenty) - Arabic: 2020 دبي
(pronunciation EXPO eishrin eishrin / عشرين عشرين دبي)
Motto & Themes
Main motto
EXPO 2020 Dubai motto:
CONNECTING MINDS, CREATING THE FUTURE
Translation:
"Connecting thoughts, shaping the future"
Idea:
The motto of EXPO 2020 Dubai is "Connecting minds, creating the future".
The focus of the is cooperation between people in a global world.
Sub-topics
Three more Subtopics complete the motto and the EXPO site is also divided into these three sections:
- Sustainability (Sustainability)
- Mobility (Mobility)
- Opportunities (Opportunity).
see more below at most important building
More about the EXPO motto and theme
EXPO 2020 theme areas and pavilions
Countries & Participants
All participants & highlights
COUNTRY PAVILIONS +
Other participants of EXPO 2020 DUBAI
- 192 countries
A record 192 countries are represented at EXPO 2020 Dubai.
In addition, international organizations and (nonprofit) companies are involved in EXPO 2020 Dubai.
(Expected) number of visitors
- 25 million
25 million visitors are expected at EXPO 2020 Dubai.
(In numbers: 25,000,000)
The original idea of Dubai, as an international hub of the world with its large and significant airport, was to attract the main number of visitors (80-90%) from abroad.
Typically, the vast majority of visitors (80-90%) at EXPOs actually come from the host country itself, as seen at previous World's Fairs.
The pandemic and restricted (air) travel worldwide could complicate this plan, despite the October 2021 opening and travel relaxations, and result in lower attendance.
Data & Runtime
- 1.10.2021 - 31.3.2022
EXPO 2020 Dubai will run for six months.
With a delay of almost one year, EXPO 2020 Dubai started on October 1, 2021 and will end on March 31, 2022.
Original data:
Originally, EXPO 2020 was to run from Oct. 20, 2020, to April 20, 2021.
However, the event had to be postponed for a year because of the Corona pandemic.
Special features of EXPO 2020
What is special about EXPO 2020 Dubai?
Call of the muezzin at EXPO 2020
This is new for world exhibitions.
At several times during the day, the "call of the muezzin" can be heard on the EXPO grounds.
Although the last (smaller) EXPO in Astana in 2017 was also held in a Muslim-majority country, EXPO 2020 in Dubai is likely to be the first world's fair in history where the call of the muezzin can be heard daily through the loudspeakers.
Alcohol only in "Alcoholic Zones
Serving alcohol and drinking is not generally prohibited at the EXPO in Dubai.
However, there are certain designated zones where alcohol may be served and drunk.
Some pavilions also require the installation of "privacy walls" for wine tastings.
Each country has its own pavilion
At past World's Fairs, some countries were co-located in so-called "joint pavilions."
At EXPO 2020 in Dubai, each country has been given the opportunity to use its own pavilion alone.
There have never been so many homemade pavilions.
Successful application 2013
- 116 to 47 votes
Dubai had prevailed over Ekaterinburg (Russia) in the third round of voting at the B.I.E. General Assembly in Paris in 2013 by a record margin of over 116 votes to 47.
In the two previous rounds, the other two competitors Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Izmir (Turkey) had already been eliminated.
Heritage & Reuse
After EXPO 2020
What will happen to the EXPO site in Dubai after EXPO 2020?
After EXPO 2020, the EXPO site and infrastructure will be used as a new residential district on the outskirts of Dubai.
Events
Nation Days at EXPO 2020
National Days
are among the highlights of world exhibitions.
Each nation celebrates at world exhibitions a so-called "Nation Day", also called Honor Day.
National Days are among the most important events of a world exhibition.
Here, the nations present themselves to the visitors and guests of honor on the large stage at Al Wasl Plaza under the large dome.
More information about the Nation's Day can be found here
On December 2, 2021, the Dubai and United Arab Emirates Nation's Day was held at EXPO 2020.
It was additionally the 50th anniversary after the establishment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
You can find more nation days at EXPO 2020 here.
Design, Music & Mascot
Logo EXPO 2020 Dubai
Logo Design & Meaning
Different versions and variants of the EXPO 2020 logo
The EXPO 2020 logo has been adapted again and again over the years.
The final version symbolizes an ancient ring found in 2002 during excavations in the desert.More information about the logo can be found here.
In the application, the logo used was blue-black with an Arabic ornament. In 2016, it was replaced by a new version in a grand ceremony. At times, "United Arab Emirates" was written out.
During EXPO 2020 in 2021/22, the country name was abbreviated and written as UAE under Dubai.
with Arabic and English lettering.
Mascot of EXPO 2020
Main mascot
Opti, Rashid and Latifa
The Mascot of the EXPO in Dubai are the eight-year-old Latifa and her nine-year-old brother Rashid.
You can see them on the EXPO grounds during the daily parades and in various animated shorts.
They are accompanied by the small Robots Alif, Terra and Opti.
Opti is also the secret star of the mascot family.
You can have a bit of small talk with him on the EXPO grounds and he has become one of the most popular photo subjects during the first days of the EXPO.
He is usually met alone (or with many visitors and fans) in the Opportunity District.
At certain times, he also performs a few dances with a couple of look alikes on the EXPO grounds.
Official EXPO 2020 song
"This Is Our Time"
The official song of EXPO 2020 is titled "This Is Our Time." According to the organizers, it highlights pride in UAE culture, celebrates the future and brings together nations from around the world.
It will also convey the story of the Expo's overarching theme of "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" through the universal language of music.
The song is sung by Hussain Al Jassmi, one of the UAE's biggest artists and Expo 2020 ambassador, accompanied by 21-year-old Emirati singer-songwriter Almas, who was named (by Spotify) the best female talent in the Middle East.
The two will be accompanied by Lebanese-American singer-songwriter Mayssa Karaa, who is also artistic director of the Expo's all-female Firdaus Orchestra.
EXPO grounds, pavilions, architecture and companies
EXPO 2020 site & size
438 hectare
The EXPO site in Dubai covers 438 hectares.
It is divided into three main sections and arranged in the shape of a three-leaf clover.
Major Pavilions & Attractions
Al Wasl Plaza and Dome
In the center of EXPO 2020 you will find the heart of the Expo site:
The huge, almost 70-meter-high dome over Al Wasl Plaza.
It is eye-catcher, popular meeting place and show stage together!
Here also take place the great spectacular shows in the evening and during the day the ceremonies of the Nation Days.
Meaning of Al Wasl
Al Wasl is furthermore not only the historical name for Dubai.
The Arabic word also means "Connection" and is thus also a metaphor for the entire Expo motto "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future".
Because EXPO 2020 wants to bring people together.
The pavilion of the UAE and Dubai
Right next to the Al Wasl Plaza you will find the pavilion of the host nations.
The pavilion of the United Arab Emirates (thus also the pavilion of Dubai) is located on the EXPO 2020 site directly next to the large Al Wasl dome.
He was appointed by the Spanish Architects Santiago Calatrava who has already created similarly impressive buildings in Valencia, New York or even Liège.
The UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Dubai pavilion is to have a Falcons in flight and tell the story of the UAE as a global hub.
Three themed pavilions
Fittingly, each sub-sector will have its own spectacular themed pavilion at EXPO 2020.
All three pavilions were designed by very renowned architects.
ALIF - PAVILION OF MOBILITY
"Alif", the pavilion of mobility was designed by Foster + Partners designs.
The spectacular building houses the world's largest passenger elevator for around 160 people.
Here, the history and the future of mobility are also linked in several exhibition rooms.
TERRA - THE PAVILION OF SUSTAINABILITY
Grimshaw Architects planned and designed the Sustainability Pavilion at EXPO 2020.
There are 4,912 solar modules on the huge, 130-meter-wide, funnel-shaped roof structure. In addition, another 18 smaller "energy trees" complement the large main building and help generate 4 GWh of alternative energy annually.
Inside, you can explore how much our planet and the oceans have been polluted in the meantime. And you can learn in different exhibition rooms what is needed to stabilize the planet again and, for example, to avoid waste so that it does not end up in the oceans.
MISSION POSSIBLE - PAVILION OF OPPORTUNITIES
The Opportunity Pavilion, designed by AGi Architects, is intended to spread optimism and highlight new opportunities for energy and water production.
This is shown concretely in the film of a farmer who talks about the extraction of haze water for the irrigation of his fields.
Other areas of the pavilion show examples from the fields of energy production and nutrition.
The Opportunity Pavilion supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, also known as the Global Goals.
The initiative's goal is to end poverty worldwide by 2030, achieve peace and prosperity for all, and create a more sustainable world in social and economic spheres of life.
EXPO site and record number of pavilions
In total, there are over 190 self-built country pavilions and presentations by a wide variety of companies at EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
Despite the mass and size, the huge site is quite clearly divided and you can basically find your way around via the main axes and paths.
Nevertheless, one should prepare a little for a visit to the EXPO, since one can be overwhelmed by the impressions and the abundance of offers on this "small" trip around the world.
If you plan your stay smartly and have some luck with the waiting times, you can end up seeing more.
Architects & Company
Information on the companies involved in EXPO 2020 Dubai
Who are the architects and which companies are involved in EXPO 2020 in Dubai?
Involved companies
Architects
- ...
Trade fair company
Event and other agencies
Event and exhibition construction company
Prizes & Awards
Visit, Guides, Tickets & Co
All EXPO 2020 guides
The ultimate guides for EXPO 2020 Dubai
Here you will find all the guides for your visit to EXPO 2020 in Dubai!
You will discover all the highlights, the most exciting, beautiful and creative pavilions, you will learn where to find the best food and all the other attractions of the World Expo in Dubai.
Arrival, highlights, important documents
EXPO 2020 Visit Plan
How to get there, when is the best day to visit, what to think about and what to bring?
Here you will find all the information you need for your visit to EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
EXPO 2020 tickets
EXPO 2020 Tickets & Free Tickets
Overview of all ticket categories
Tickets for EXPO 2020 Dubai are best obtained via the Official website. Everything you need to know about ticket purchase and ticket options can be found here.
The EXPO passport
EXPO 2020 passport is probably the best souvenir and most popular souvenir of any EXPO.
Corona and EXPO 2020
Here you will find all important information about the Corona virus in connection with the EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
What are the current entry requirements?
Do I need a vaccination certificate and a PCR test?
Don't Miss!
INVISIBLE
Highlights of the EXPO 2020 visit
- Best of
- Architecture
- Special features
- Innovations
- Visit and Experience
- Three to five lines
Opening hours
All information on opening, admission and closing times of EXPO 2020 Dubai.
EXPO 2020 Dubai has very long opening hours.
On some weekend days or special events, the EXPO grounds are open until 2:00 am.
The pavilions are open (with exceptions) from 10:00 - 22:00.
Pavilion opening hours
10.00 - 22.00
Important note: Admission often ends before closing times
Note that the Admission into the pavilion due to waiting times or similar may be significant. ends earlier!
On different days there are also (private) events, so pavilions then shorter or even not open are.
Photos, News & Media
Photo gallery and external media
Best EXPO 2020
Photos & Videos
Here you can find the best photos and videos of EXPO 2020 Dubai and many impressions of the mega event in Dubai.
Reports, videos & interesting reports
News, Stories, Links & Media
Here you can find all news & stories about EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
INVISIBLE
h2 EXPO history
Overview of all world exhibitions:
From 1851 to today plus current and future EXPO and applications for the next events...