Dubai Expo 2020 site to be ready a year ahead of inauguration

The Expo 2020 master plan remains on track as per an updated progress report by authorities.

Plans have been drafted with a target date for all major construction activities to be completed on site by October 2019, allowing for a full year of readiness testing across networks, systems and technologies.

This was revealed during the presentation of a progress update on the Dubai Expo 2020 organisation, framework and site development, including key milestones and timelines for delivery of the event, at an executive committee session of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), the governing body of the World Expo, in France.

“One of our strongest assets during the bid was a robust and well progressed Master Plan with a clear existing legacy, which Dubai World Trade Centre, as developer of the Expo 2020 site, has continued to evolve and drive forward rigorously to ensure that we are on track…,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Expo 2020 Preparatory Higher Committee Chairman.

The progress update was presented by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Expo Preparatory Committee member.

When unveiled upon completion, the project will include three zones, catering close to 250 participants.

Dubai Expo 2020, which will run from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021, is also pushing forward a one country-one pavilion policy.

One of the first main deliverables is the submission of the mandatory Registration Dossier by 2015 to BIE, which will include more in-depth content across key topics presented in the bid document.

In the early part of next year, following finalisation of the detailed master planning, site readiness activity will commence on the Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali site to prepare for full-fledged construction after BIE approval.

Detailed master plan

The 438-hectare site that includes a dedicated gated 150-hectare Expo area, and a surrounding residential, hospitality and logistics zone, will play host to the 25 million visitors expected at Dubai Expo 2020.

Expo Village, a residential community development providing full-time housing facilities for staff from participating countries working on site, will target completion by 2018, following which pavilion construction activities will start.

“Building and implementing strategic partnerships on a city wide level is already being progressed and the driving forward of potential international participant engagement across governments, private sector and institutional players is underway,” said Reem Al-Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and Expo Preparatory Committee member.

Theme and layout

With the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ at its core, organisers aim to integrate the three sub-themes of Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity, which will converge at the central Al Wasl Plaza.

The flagship UAE Pavilion will feature a ‘Welcome’ and an ‘Innovation’ pavilion near the north entrance surrounding the central plaza; three souks, each in one of the theme zones, will showcase smaller pavilions surrounded by the larger country pavilions on the outer rings.

Additionally, each thematic zone will also have one feature entertainment venue and a specialised theme pavilion.

“The sheer level of detail that has already been developed for the master plan means that we are significantly advanced with the requirements for the immediate next stage of delivery and well on-track to ensuring timely and holistic implementation,” said Almarri.

At its peak, the Dubai Expo 2020 exhibition site is designed to accommodate up to 300,000 visitors, with average weekday attendance expected at 153,000.

Transport and Metro extension

A comprehensive visitor management study has been undertaken around the Dubai Expo 2020 hosting, including city wide traffic and movement flow analysis.

An extension to the existing Dubai Metro Red Line will be constructed along with a dedicated station on the Expo site to encourage maximum usage of public transport systems.

Additionally, a bespoke zero-emission bus service will transport visitors to and from the Expo from pick-up points throughout the UAE, situated in key hotel and major population areas.

At these pick-up points, passengers will undergo ticket checks and security screening prior to boarding the ExpoRider buses in operation, eliminating the need for further checking when they reach the Expo Site to facilitate faster processing through the entrances.

Sustainability

Organisers are also keen to supply at least 50 per cent of the Expo Site’s energy needs over its six-month duration with energy from renewable sources.

Emphasis will be placed on integrating solar energy technologies into the Expo Site Master Plan.

Further, a 25 per cent of reduction in consumption of water across the pavilions and buildings on-site is being targeted to be achieved at Dubai Expo 2020 whilst a Resource and Waste Management Strategy (RWMS) outlines the approach to managing waste that would arise during the construction, operation and legacy transition phases of the Expo and reusing materials with the intention of maximising the opportunity of recycling waste material.

Organisers state, in the next six years, over 275,000 jobs are estimated to be created across the region to service the Expo, across several sectors linked to Expo delivery and legacy transition plans such as tourism, aviation, construction, real estate, engineering, infrastructure, logistics, transportation, hospitality and retail.

The Expo committee states preliminary estimates indicate that the economic impact generated by the event between now and 2021 will be approximately €17.7 billion.

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