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Expo City, built for the 2020 World Expo, was high on my Dubai list. As a sustainability professional, my Dubai shortlist is a little different from other travellers. Indeed, it’s even different from my own shortlist for the average destination. The reason is that Dubai went through a phase – roughly after it presumably got bored with skyscrapers and luxury real estate reclamation projects, but before our current post-pandemic world – when it leaned heavily into a pan-global identity and the sustainability transition. So it had a few special sights related to sustainability and futurism.
One of those sights is Expo City, for this was also the period when Dubai won the hosting privilege for the World Expo.
Why I wanted to go to Expo City as a sustainability professional
I never really took any notice of past World Expos. After all, it was just a trade conference, albeit the most prestigious. But as Expo 2020 Dubai approached, I began to notice that Dubai was using its turn as host to re-imagine the World Expo. And that was what put Expo City on my list.
For starters, Dubai’s World Expo would heavily favour topics related to answering Sustainable Development Goals challenges. For another, the Dubai World Expo was led by a woman, Reem Al Hashimi, and the first to have a standalone Women’s Pavilion. It was also the first one held in the MENA region. And it would be open to the public, the first to design a child-specific World Expo experience.
Most groundbreaking of all, it would invite every single country in the world, and allocate a pavilion for countries that didn’t have the funds to build their own, so that every country could be present with dignity for the first time in 170 years of World Expo history. Moreover, it had pavilions for regional economic groupings as well. And not just the European Union either, but equally for the African Union and ASEAN too.
But I was most curious about Expo City itself. Supposedly, Dubai intended to build a sustainable township to host the World Expo. The world’s top sustainability professionals were invited to design the city with the best knowledge we possessed then. I thought, I had to see what the outcome looked like.
Expo 2020 & the global lockdown
I considered travelling to Dubai to see the World Expo. Unfortunately, the Covid19 pandemic hit, and global lockdowns began in 2020. The expo did finally take place, but in 2021 when delegates could travel there (though they didn’t change the name).
Even then, Expo 2020 logged another first. You could ‘attend’ virtually on the Expo TV, its dedicated YouTube channel, with some events even live streamed. In fact, you can still watch the videos now. Every day throughout the Expo, countries took their turn in the spotlight to feature their identities and pavilions. Whether big or small, rich or poor, no country received disproportionate attention, but neither did they have to share it*.
At first, I thought I might visit Expo City on my return layover from a team meeting in the USA. But a family health scare aborted those plans. Finally, I had another chance in 2024. On my trip to South Africa, I purposely allocated a lengthy layover in Dubai so that I could stay inside Expo City and explore it at leisure.
Where to stay in Expo City
At the time of my visit, Expo City was still undergoing post-expo renovations. Only Rove Hotel was open then. There are still limited accommodation options in Expo City, but I checked and saw that there are other options now.
I found Rove Hotel to be an excellent business hotel. In fact, it may be the most businessy business hotel I’d ever stayed in. I had resigned from my job for a few months by then, but the co-working space triggered my professional reflexes, so much so that I almost wanted to start working and having meetings again! You wouldn’t even have to break your conversation much, as it feels easy to just flow into a meeting room or private phone booth. Moreover, it felt international. Granted, it was the off season, but the few guests in the working spaces were not only Emirati.
Everything that you could possibly need as a business traveler is there, and easy to get to without needing to ask for help from the staff. There were vending machines for spare batteries and cables, snacks, and OTC medication. They had a convenient luggage/locker room, and even a space to chill in if you want to escape the meetings and play some Xbox for a bit.
And of course, given its location in Expo City, Rove Hotel was easy for a zero waste traveller, and vegan friendly.
As with the UAE in general, hotel rates can be pricey. But if you are willing to tolerate the blazing summer heat, prices can be 75% off in this season. Note that the downside for visiting Expo City in the off season is that there may not be many events, at least not outdoors.
How to get to Expo City
You can get to Expo City with the Dubai Metro. Get off at the Expo 2020 station, where you would already be close to your accommodation.
The Expo 2020 station is also where the stop is, if you choose to come by bus.
However, I came to Expo City by taxi because it was the Dubai summer, and I couldn’t contemplate dealing with even my single luggage out in the elements. It was probably the correct decision. I would have had to walk along the open Al Wasl Avenue to get from the metro station to Rove Hotel. And while it was not far at all in more tropical temperatures, it sure felt very far in the desert heat.
Of course, if for some reason you have a car with you, you can also drive to Expo City. There is plenty of parking.
Expo City Attractions Pass
Expo City is primarily a CBD area. Residential blocks were under construction in the space once occupied by countries that built their own temporary pavilions during the World Expo. This future intent is why the township layout is also very liveable.
Since it is actually just a township, you can explore most of Expo City for free. However, if you’re visiting Expo City as a tourist, you will want to go to a few specific pavilions from the World Expo. These are like museums, and have entry fees.
I was basically winging it when I came to see Expo City. I can’t remember why I didn’t buy the entry passes beforehand. At the time, there were 8 exhibits that required entry passes, but it seems that the format is more simplified now. The combo pass gave access to all 8 attractions back then, but now encompasses just the three core Pavilions. There are even guided tour options now.
However, one thing is still the same. The combo attractions pass is still valid for just one day. I guess that’s more practical. The three Pavilions are the highlights of Expo City anyway. And honestly, it’s a lot to expect to do more than that in a single day.
Opening times of Expo City exhibits
This section is less about me telling you the opening times for Expo City attractions, and more about noting that you should confirm beforehand. For example, from online information the opening times seemed to be between 10AM and 6PM. However, when I was there, they were 12-8 PM.
Maybe the opening times shift by season. At least 12-8 gives you a few hours of cooler weather later in the day vs 10-6 which is all hot weather. But I only found out when I tried to go to the places.
Al Wasl Plaza
The first part of Expo City you encounter will be Al Wasl Plaza. It is a circular arena topped with a large latticed dome open to the sky in the centre. It is also the central point for all three Expo City districts. Around it lies the UAE country pavilion, the Expo City municipality/management office, hotels and restaurants.
The plaza itself is a few steps down from the ground level around it. It was under renovation during my visit so it was tricky to get around it to the different sections since I had to walk the safe route the long way around. Under normal circumstances, I think you would be able to just cross it.
Despite the construction, I still thought that the plaza was very pleasant. There were even birds singing from somewhere. But considering the punishing heat, I’m almost sure that this was just bird audio and not real birds hiding amongst the landscaping. Surely any real bird would have dropped out of the sky from the heat. That said, whoever designed the sound landscape did a great job since it sounded very real and relaxing indeed.
From the Expo 2020 broadcasts, I knew that Al Wasl’s dome was equipped for light and video displays, turning it into a giant backdrop for performances, as you can see below. But there were no shows during my visit, for obvious reasons.
Beacons of Al Wasl
A notable thing to explore in Al Wasl Plaza are the Beacons. These are 42 themed bronze medallions fixed on the ground around the circular arena. Each one reflects a theme related to Expo 2020, culture and development of the UAE, or its iconic landscapes and natural symbols.
Getting around Expo City
Expo City is quite compact, and very walkable. However, there are also options for assisted mobility, which is useful if you need to get to places faster, or for people who are mobility challenged in general**. Not to mention in the summer heat, which makes walking considerably more stressful.
You can rent e-bikes and e-scooters, and there is an electric buggy service. The buggy service was free during my visit, but on the website it seems that there is a fee now. Wheelchair & stroller rentals are also available.
That said, I still walked most of the time, and thankfully my Southeast Asian heat tolerance was enough to avoid heat stroke lol. That, and the occasional cafe that was somehow open, where I could duck into for shelter when it got too real.
The best way to explore Expo City
There are three districts in Expo City, laid out like a Venn diagram. These fan out from Al Wasl Plaza like petals in a triangle shape (the fourth direction leads to the main entrance towards the Metro station). The districts still have their names from Expo 2020: Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity. Country pavilions were distributed between these districts.
There is a main elliptical “ring” path around each district that traces the boundary of the ‘petal’. However, in a satisfying callback to Arabian medina layouts, you can also walk right through the ‘petal’ via a network of narrow paths and alleys between the buildings. Each district had a Thematic Pavilion to match its theme at the ends. Two of them are permanent Expo City attractions.
You can do the three attractions included in the combo pass in one day. More than those three attractions would be a bit tight on time, though. Of course, if you feel one day is not enough in Expo City after reading this article, that’s perfectly justified as well. You should be able to cover all the attractions in two days. But three would allow you to slow down and enjoy the restaurants and arts.
I picked a random direction to start my exploration. Or maybe it wasn’t totally random, only that it was the most accessible direction from Rove Hotel due to the pedestrian path deviations around the Al Wasl construction zone. As a result, I began with the Opportunity District, then Sustainability, and then Mobility.
However, at one of the attractions, the guide advised me to do the Alif Pavilion in the Mobility District first, and then the pavilions in the Sustainability District. In hindsight, I think he is right***.
1. Must-see Thematic Pavilions
If you have just one day in Expo City, go to the Mobility District first to see Alif Pavilion. Then go all the way to the end of the adjacent Sustainability District for Terra Pavilion. These are the two must-see attractions of Expo City. They are the largest pavilions in Expo City, and need a bit of time to properly appreciate. Don’t plan to speedrun these.
Both are suitable for family visits. However, I think that you’d need to be at least a teenager to appreciate Alif’s content. Terra, on the other hand, is like a Pixar movie, in that it is suitable for younger children, but has enough depth to cater for older visitors.
For more on these must-see attractions, see my companion article specifically about Terra and Alif Pavilions. Both attractions are incredibly good. So much so that they deserve a whole separate article. I especially liked the choices they made that were different from the usual sustainability takes on the topics of mobility, and the effect of consumerism on nature.
2. Other pavilions & notable attractions
If you still have time, then you have a few options. You could see the Vision Pavilion in the same district (included in the Attractions Pass). The Women’s Pavilion is near Terra Pavilion as well. Or you could opt to go up to the nearby Garden in the Sky for panoramic views.
The Thematic Pavilion in Opportunity District does not have a permanent display. It is more of a meeting spot for business. However, the Expo 2020 Museum is located in this district. This may legitimately be the number 3 attraction contender vs Vision Pavilion.
Alternatively, you could also do one of the Stories of the Nations pavilions, or see your own country’s Expo 2020 pavilion. See dedicated section below for how.
If you’re visiting Expo City with kids, you might prefer going to the Small Worlds miniature exhibit, or spend time in the parks.
Vision Pavilion
The Vision Pavilion is dedicated to Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid. It wasn’t part of the original layout plan for Expo 2020. The organisers added it in as a surprise homage to the sheikh’s vision for Dubai. If you buy the One-Day Attractions Pass, entry to this pavilion is included along with Alif and Terra.
The pavilion is fairly small, and doesn’t take long to go through. The exhibits reflect the kind of person the sheikh is, through his childhood hobbies and lifelong passions.
The exhibits were surprisingly interesting both in its content, as well as the artful design. It does deserve to be third on the ticket, though Expo 2020 Museum could also deserve that spot. Since it is on the ticket, I also include it in my separate article for Alif and Terra pavilions, where I go into more detail.
Women’s Pavilion
The other notable pavilion in Expo City is the Women’s Pavilion. This is a strange one for me, because I liked it and didn’t like it at the same time.
On the one hand, I liked that they built one, and thought it was appropriate for a World Expo led by a woman. If I were to time shift myself back to about 20 years ago, I think I would have considered the content enlightening and important. And maybe, for visitors from many countries in the world, it still would come across this way. But today, I personally felt there wasn’t anything particularly new, aside from the part about gender equality in modern Emirati government.
The pavilion summarised women’s contributions throughout history, with an important emphasis on women in what is today called the developing world (back then, it was advanced). Maybe, that would be illuminating for visitors from the developed world.
Overall, it was a good little pavilion. But there were two things that they should fix. Firstly, some of the information is not accurate. For instance, astrolabes as an invention predates Maryam al-Asturlabi. So she isn’t the inventor, but an innovator of the technology. Another example is the Al-Qarawiyyin University, which is cited as the oldest university in the world. It isn’t; but it is the oldest one that has continuously functioned as a university to this day. I think these details matter.
Secondly, I felt that the pavilion didn’t adequately acknowledge an elephant in the room. Women’s challenges are described only in the context of discrimination within their societies. I think the exhibit should include statistics on the extent that issues of maternal death, poverty, gender-based violence, etc. are worsened by war and the collapse of society itself.
Expo 2020 Museum
Expo 2020 Museum archives the history of the UAE’s bid to host the World Expo. Exhibits tell the story of Expo 2020 Dubai’s concept development, the pandemic misfortune, and all the way through to its (delayed) launch. If you wanted a crash course on what World Expos are, this is also a good place for that historical context.
Sustainability-oriented visitors like me may be particularly interested in the part where Expo City was designed to be a sustainable township. This museum is where you can get a summary of what that means, and some statistics on what they were able to achieve.
3. Expo 2020 country pavilions
Of course, one attraction unique to Expo City are Expo 2020 country pavilions. That’s because this was the expo that invited everyone, and when the UAE flexed its diplomatic standing to somehow persuade even disputing countries to come; for example, both Palestine and Israel, both Serbia and Kosovo. (Yes, in the immediate pre-2020 years things were different).
I knew that major countries typically build their own pavilions at World Expos. But Expo 2020 invited even poor countries, who usually can’t afford to come, never mind make a standalone pavilion. Normally, if African countries came for example, they’d have to share a pavilion, which made it harder to pitch country-specific investments.
I heard that Dubai forked out the resources to enable them to attend with dignity. But even though Dubai has the reputation of being obscenely rich, I still didn’t understand how they could afford to give each country its own pavilion, and how this would still fit in the sustainability theme of the expo. There are close to 200 countries, after all.
But the moment I walked into an office zone in Expo City, it all became clear. Dubai was building a permanent township, which was going to be a business and entrepreneurial hub. The offices were going to be built anyway. These office blocks were the country pavilions, for those who opted not to build their own!
And there didn’t appear to be location favouritism either. For example, Australia had a standalone pavilion with a fantastic view of Alif Pavilion. But Eswatini’s office pavilion had an equally cool view of it as well.
How to find your country’s pavilion
If you understandably now want to take a selfie at your country’s Expo pavilion plaque, the problem now is to find where it is. So far, I can’t see a map of it on the official Expo City website. Personally, I think it should be a kind of attraction in itself.
However, the Expo 2020 Dubai official website still has the expo map. Find your country in the legend at the bottom. Note what colour the circle is; this tells you which district it was in, or if it was in the section between districts****. It then becomes easier to find your country’s pavilion location.
Stories of the Nations pavilions
The office pavilions are empty now. But one item from each exhibit was saved in little museums called Stories of the Nations. There were three: one for pavilions in each thematic district. Once I figured this out, I went to all three of them.
From these, I gathered that the Expo 2020 organisers asked the countries to bring an exhibit that tells their story. What are your coolest things? What would you offer in collaboration, what opportunities are you looking for? So the showcase says something beyond the economic pitches.
Some countries specifically chose to showcase the part of their culture or international relationship that intersects with Arabs, e.g. Japan and Spain. Others were more general.
For travel and geography lovers, Stories of the Nations is a cornucopia. You get to sample the cultures of the world and learn insightful things at the same time.
What the country values, and whether this was their first chance to speak for themselves. And if so, what do they choose to open with?
Whether they are burdened by an issue, and it becomes their sole important thing to say. Their hopes. Whether they are self-focused, other-focused, tradition-focused, future-focused, tech-focused, or relationship-focused.
Pro tip: You can still see what the pavilion exhibits looked like during Expo 2020. Go to the Country Pavilions section on the Expo 2020 website and find the country you’re interested in. A silver lining of the Expo having to take place during pandemic travel disruptions is that there is a Virtual Expo time capsule archive as well.
Permanent country pavilions
Of the countries that made standalone pavilions, some built temporary ones while others seem to have built permanent buildings. When I visited, it was already more than two years since the expo ended. So the temporary buildings were already construction sites for residential housing.
However, a few countries built pavilions that seem to be intended for the expo, as well as the future CBD. Of course, the UAE’s own pavilion is permanent. But the pavilions of China, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt – all in the Opportunity District – also seem like they would stay.
Some of them were open even then. For example, the one by Turkmenistan had become a Turkmen restaurant. (The restaurant was really good.) It was a cool building too. It really leaned into the steppe horsemen vibes. But most of these pavilions were not open, since the whole CBD was under renovation. I’m tempted to re-visit Expo City one day to see what’s inside.
Others looked like they were in limbo, though. They seemed like they could be permanent if the country wanted them to be. But on the other hand, they didn’t look as convincingly permanent as the above-mentioned ones. The Russian pavilion, for example, which is very obvious from Rove Hotel. It looked like a planet. I remember being amazed at how well the plastic piping that formed the colourful lines were still intact and showed no signs of disintegrating under the punishing Gulf UV rays.
4. Workers’ Monument
Finally, there is one more attraction that I consider a must-see, and that goes both for sustainability professionals, as well as socialists. This is the Workers’ Monument.
This monument is a colonnade located next to Jubilee Park where the future residential apartments would be. Designed by renowned architect Asif Khan, its gradually thinning concave shape was inspired by the moon’s metamorphosis in eclipse.
But the monument isn’t just a symbolic abstract installation. The actual names of more than 200,000 migrant workers who built Expo City are etched in stone on the columns. Together they contributed 24 million man hours. If you were one of the workers who built the city, you could return with your kids one day and point to your name.
Walking through the colonnade, I randomly stopped to read the names. There were the Muhammads and Abdullahs, Singhs and Pillais and Ghulams, Prems and Rams and Santoshes, Nguyens and Gurungs and Sherpas, Zhangs and Lis and Chaos, Gonzales and Morales, Josephs and Francises, Dmitris and Owusus and Tinadus. The odd Adonis and Disney – I just knew they must be Filipino.
I noticed that they were arranged in alphabetical order of given names, not ‘last names’, which many cultures do not use. As someone from one such culture, I couldn’t help but feel a certain validation.
And you know, it’s something to think about that such a monument is found in a country that’s neither “a democracy”, nor “socialist”, but “a monarchy”.
The expats rebuilding Expo City
Some people are not going to like what I have to say in this section. But one benefit of seeing Expo City when I did, was that I saw the renovations as it was happening. I saw the worksites, and I saw the workers. And yes, they are the ‘expats’ I mean in the section title, because Dubai uses ‘expat’ for both white and blue collar foreign workers.
They did not look much different from the best construction sites I’ve seen. And I was in oil & gas with a company famously picky about safety. So much so that I immediately noticed a working at heights situation across the street while idly having breakfast inside the hotel. But after watching for some minutes, the worker finished setting up the job site, and the hazard was properly controlled.
The workers all wore PPE. They rested in shelter during the hottest part of the day. Some drove around the job sites in the electric buggies. They looked like normal blue collar guys. In fact, they looked better than workers I’ve seen in many countries not targeted by media scrutiny.
Of course, I knew the rumours about the UAE’s construction industry. I also know how hard it is to change culture in fast developing countries, being from one myself. How hard it is to instil safety culture, among other things, where there wasn’t any before.
So I was curious about the main contractor. I thought – at least on this matter – they behaved as an actually helpful partner.
The workers were returning from break as I returned to the hotel. I passed a pair of them at close range. One of them looked up to the towering funnel pillars, and he spontaneously smiled to himself at the sight.
Visitor amenities in Expo City
Expo City is pretty well designed. I think a sustainable traveller would probably notice it more, because it should feel like less effort for us than usual. The city caters for us. But at the same time, it’s still kind enough to those who have more conventional habits.
Here are some notes on particular amenities, where I found something interesting.
1. Where to eat in Expo City
Since Expo City is a township and CBD, there are restaurants and cafes throughout the districts. Thankfully, some of them were even open during the reconstruction. That Thai place in the Mobility District probably saved me from heat stroke when I underestimated the Dubai heat on the first day. There are also restaurants immediately fronting Al Wasl Plaza.
However, there is a food hub near the Surreal water feature, called the Oasis. I think this is where you’re meant to go for after-work socialising.
The Oasis is an F&B area with kiosks and some restaurants. It has a prominent building called Alkebulan^, which is the African dining hall. You can get a range of cuisine from the African continent there. The whole building is just African food. They played music by Kenyan band Sauti Sol when I was there for lunch.
2. Drinking water fountains
You do not have to worry about buying water to walk around Expo City, not even in the summer heat. There are drinking water fountains all over the place, called sabeel. You can refill your water bottle at these fountains.
Most of them look like traditional Arab-Mediterranean public fountains. However, some of them double as art installations. The postbox ones feature a letter to water by an Emirati artist, written in three scripts: Roman (in English), Arabic (in Arabic), and Braille (I’m illiterate in Braille so I don’t know which language was written in Braille).
3. Recycling bins
If you do buy bottled water or juices at the Visitor Centre convenience shops, there are recycling bins in Expo City for when you’re done.
4. Parks & public art
As with most public places in the UAE, there are family-oriented spaces in Expo City. There are several parks with children’s play areas. If you’re in Expo City for longer than a day, these could be a pleasant option to relax. Not in summer though – it’s too hot. It’s somehow still hot even at night.
One thing I liked about Expo City is that it has many public art installations. If you can allocate more time here, you can explore Expo City more slowly and discover these installations across the districts. Some of them are also practical amenities, like the sabeel water fountains, and the calligraphy benches.
5. There will be cats
And finally, good news for cat lovers! You will encounter little huts every so often as you wander through Expo City. Inside you’ll find pet food and water, presumably for the stray cats. You can find cats prowling around Expo City – inside these huts, along the paths, even perched on top of hedges. There will be some in the sliding door interval space of the hotel, because they like to get in there for the air-conditioning when it’s a bit hot.
Notes:
* Western mainstream media generally boycotted Expo 2020. The few that did cover it didn’t give a good sense of what it achieved, and went out of their way to find pavilions of countries embroiled in conflict, specifically to interview only them about sad things. Wow, developing countries looking for development deals have problems, what a revelation. It doesn’t mean that’s who they are, and want to be.
I felt it was tone deaf to the optimistic vibe of the expo, intentionally limiting developing nations to their current problems, instead of focusing on the national story and development hopes which they wanted to showcase at a trade expo, and which represents a much longer period of their history than their current unfortunate circumstances.
Luckily, these days there are other sources to see what’s going on, and even in real time. Here were my Instagram posts while I was watching the event on the Expo 2020 channels as well as countries’ own Expo social media channels. Note: the photos are scenes from KL, and not related to the World Expo.
** In the UAE, they say ‘people of determination’, instead of ‘xyz challenged’ or ‘disabled’.
*** In hindsight, the clue is in the name. Alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet.
**** Malaysia made a standalone pavilion in Jubilee, which is one such intermediate section. I wouldn’t be surprised if we picked this location because it’s where the food hub is LOL. Both because we like being near the food, and because Malaysia’s expo pavilions are well-known for having great food. See example from our Expo 2025 Osaka pavilion:
^ Alkebulan is believed to be the original name for Africa, and an endonym. (‘Africa’ is an exonym.) It means “mother of mankind”, or in another sense, “garden of eden”.
Carbon offset information to Dubai
A return flight between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai produces carbon emissions of approximately 2,518 lbs CO2e. It costs about $20 to offset this.
Interested to explore Expo City Dubai? Pin for your Dubai trip inspiration!
What a fascinating city. I hadn’t realized that the World Expos were still a thing.
Oh yes, they’re still doing World Expos, or World’s Fair, but usually it’s just focused much more on trade.
It’s just that Dubai decided to commemorate the first time the MENASA region (Middle East-North Africa-South Asia) got to host one of these, by doing it in this inspirational way. I think by doing it the way they did, Dubai renewed a little something of the original groundbreaking glamour from the expos at the beginning of the Industrial Age, and maybe at the same time redeemed it back from the days when non-Western countries were represented as exhibits rather than participants (never mind equal participants).
Thank you for including the info about the Cat City integrated in Expo City. Meow! I love that they take care of the street cats and find them safe housing. 🐈🐈⬛
lol Cat City… I hope Expo City management finds this article and is inspired to actually make a cat city overlay lol, in a similar way that they did a child-level overlay during Expo 2020.
It’s a mystery to me how the cats even got there! The cat distribution system has its own ways, I suppose. But technically the cat refreshment stations are amenities!
This is really interesting. I would have thought about visiting Expo City. Sustainability is key to the future, so i liked learning about that too.
Exactly! That’s why I decided I must write about this place. Not a lot of people know about Expo 2020 Dubai (we all had, uh, bigger things to deal with that year…). But more people should know about what took place at that time because it was really inspiring, and the city is too.
I wouldn’t have had Expo City on my list, but I really like their commitment to sustainability, and that they provided areas for all countries to exhibit, even if they couldn’t afford it.
That was what originally drew my attention to this World Expo in particular. And the solution was so elegant too, once I saw it.
After this expo, which gave developing countries an experience of being treated in an economic international event with equality and dignity, many Global South oriented economic cooperation and regional groupings really took off. I can’t tell if the two things are related, but maybe it makes a real difference to be validated with respect at such a global stage, to your confidence to negotiate for your country with different and new partners. I saw from the streamed Expo side events that just being in such a format, encouraged some technically “western” countries to intuitively behave as though all the countries were equal, seemingly just because the social cues were different. Though some usual suspects seemed petty, but I won’t name them.
I hadn’t heard about the Beacons before—42 medallions each telling part of the UAE’s story sounds like such a subtle yet powerful way to ground the Expo in place. It’s the kind of detail that makes you slow down and look more closely.
I almost missed it, to be honest! And the construction hoarding kind of distracted me at first. But I stayed in Expo City, so I passed Al Wasl Plaza every time I went out, so there was enough opportunity for me to look at the discs on the floor and discover that they weren’t just random manhole covers!