EXPO CITY

Expo 2020 closed its doors at the end of April 2022. Long live Expo City, which has taken over and allows all those who have not had the chance to visit the Expo to discover this majestic site, with its magnificent Al Wasl Plaza in the center, which means connection in Arabic, a place of meetings and exchanges where concerts and shows are regularly held.

This heart of the Expo is worth a visit in the evening, when it is decked out in a thousand colors. Designed by the American firm Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture, the incredible dome is 130 meters in diameter and 67 meters high. Its architecture was inspired by the Expo logo, a 4,000-year-old ring found at the Saruq Al Hadeed archaeological site in the Dubai desert. The iron lattice structure conceals 200 projectors and offers the world's largest 360° projection surface for an immersive experience, visible from inside and outside. It is a true technological feat. The three thematic pavilions that bring together the major issues to "connect minds, build the future" are also worth a visit:

Opportunity: explores ways to unleash the potential of individuals and communities and questions the possibilities of providing equitable and quality education, inclusive growth while enabling the reduction of inequality. It highlights the hope of new industries and the challenge of good governance in tomorrow's world. Designed by AGi Architects, the pavilion draws on the rich history of public squares and their universal significance as places for people of all ages, languages and cultures to gather. Made of natural materials, it is composed of 2,500 tons of stone and 111 kilometers of rope. Inside, there are three highlights. The first is to follow 3 mentors, Abel, Mama and Fatma, whose actions have an impact on their communities in the areas of food, water and energy. Another will allow you to take part in an international mission and the last one proposes you to explore a thousand ways to create a better future for yourself, others and the planet. A good way to realize that every gesture counts and that it's the little streams that make the big rivers. The pavilion also highlights the 17 UN goals such as education, access to water and gender equality.

Mobility: this theme reflects on the material and virtual connections between goods, people and ideas. Not only do we explore the new transportation and travel of tomorrow, but also digital connectivity and what is related to logistics. Designed by architecture firm Forster & Partners, the pavilion houses the world's largest elevator with a capacity of 160 people at a time. After exploring the history of mobility, through the discovery of the inventors of means of transport on earth and in space, we discover the cities of tomorrow driven by artificial intelligence, big data, robotics for travel in autonomous vehicles. Several workshops allow you to design your own spacecraft or robot, to discover a moving hyperloop capsule or a solar-powered tricycle. Before going out, you can even have your picture taken as an astronaut in the conquest of space.

Sustainability: a major area of current discussions between scientists, governments and NGOs, it naturally finds its place in this exhibition. Resources, climate change, green growth, ecosystems, but also green cities and sustainable habitats are all explored. In November 2023, it will host the COP 28, the ^28th United Nations Climate Change Conference. Designed by the British firm Grimshaw Architects, this pavilion has obtained the highest level of accreditation for sustainable architecture, LEED Platinum certification. It takes the form of a huge 130-meter wide canopy, covered with 1,055 solar panels that can produce up to 4 gigawatts per year. Inside this magnificent building, you can immerse yourself in two worlds: under the ocean and under the forest. An immersive experience punctuated with scientific data allowing to understand very concretely the fragile balance of our Earth. The two worlds come together in a space that explores several avenues of reflection for a different world. Very educational, the pavilion is full of ideas, questioning our way of living, consuming and behaving. Under the canopy, three renowned Emirati artists, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Zainab Al-Hashemi and Mohamed Kazem, represented through their art the interaction between Man and nature. A pavilion that the children appreciate very much.

In 2023, the ^28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as COP28, will assess and direct progress in the fight against climate change. Expo City Dubai - a state-of-the-art "green" destination that hosted the world during the six-month Expo - shares COP28's goals of achieving sustainability and fostering all positive actions towards climate security. A calendar of planned events is available on the Expo City website.