Emirates kicks off historic Dubai Expo 2020
Attendee centres from around the world, a luxury venue with sound and light shows and an ambitious country project. These were the ingredients for the opening ceremony of Expo Dubai 2020, an event sponsored by the United Arab Emirates to raise awareness of its brand in the rest of the world. The launch of the expo featured the likes of tenor Andrea Bocelli and pianist Lang-Lang, and the words of Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, who was quick to describe the event as "a new beginning" for the Emirates.
The ceremony was a long time in coming. Meticulous security and health protocols delayed the start of the event, as delegates and representatives from the 64 countries attending the inauguration crossed the corridor into the impressive Al Wasl Plaza, Dubai's ad hoc shopping and exhibition centre designed for the occasion and inspired by an archaeological masterpiece. The inauguration of Al Wasl Plaza, a 3,000 year old gold ring at the Saruq Al Hadid archaeological site. The Dubai night was left behind, and the parade of flags gave way to the first interventions of the first universal exhibition to be held in the Middle East.
The exhibition will be open from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2020. In total, the event will last 182 days. With a one-year delay due to COVID-19, Emirates hopes to make up for the wait and offer the best possible experience to the estimated 25 million people who will visit the exhibition, 70 per cent of whom will come from overseas. "We are using the event to celebrate our 50th anniversary," said Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak. For the emirate, it is an unbeatable opportunity.
The minister took the floor to highlight the cooperative capacity of the six founders of the federation that created the United Arab Emirates in 1971, which was later joined by Ras al-Khaimah. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak also sent a message of tolerance and respect, and opened the door to collaboration with the rest of the world. "We have a vision and we want to realise it," he said. He said. The country's goals include economic development, and they are counting on everyone who is willing to contribute.
The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri Kerkentzes, agreed with the Emirati minister that Expo Dubai is a historic occasion for the Emirates and represents an unbeatable scenario to connect, discuss and work together with other countries to "generate new perspectives to face the great challenges". In this sense, Kerkentzes congratulated the Emirati leadership for having overcome the health obstacles to hold the event, which will have the same nomenclature as the year in which it should be held (2020).
The global meeting will also serve to share technology and promote cultural exchange. After a long period marked by health restrictions and online events, the Dubai Expo will be a turning point at a global level with 192 countries taking part. In fact, for the first time in the history of universal expositions, each country will have a pavilion where they can make themselves known. Spain has its own centre, designed by the Spanish architect Amann Cánovas Maruri.
Under the slogan 'Intelligence for Life', Spain has at its disposal an area of more than 5,700 square metres managed by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the public company responsible for Spain's presence at Universal and International Exhibitions. The exhibition themes will revolve around sustainability with references to Mediterranean life, and will be a golden opportunity to strengthen the economic ties between Spain and the Emirates, countries that share a bilateral investment flow of more than 9,000 million dollars and the presence in the country of more than 170 Spanish companies that benefit from the strategic location.
Despite calls from the European Parliament to boycott the event because of human rights violations in the Emirates, the EU announced on Thursday that it would participate in the exhibition. High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said during a visit to the region: "The fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainability and inclusiveness are some of the challenges of our time. The Dubai Expo will provide an opportunity to underline the EU's commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism to build a common understanding and overcome them.
The complex, spread over 4.38 square kilometres and costing around ¤7 billion to build, is filled with futuristic constructions and ground-breaking designs that Dubai hopes will attract foreign investment and new businesses. To see the area and get a feel for the site, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as Dubai's leader, took a bike ride the day before the opening. It is about the size of 600 football pitches.
In any case, the organisers offer a range of alternatives to facilitate mobility within the venue, known as Dubai Trade Center-Jebel Ali, so long distances are not a problem. Expo Dubai provides buses, golf buggies and even trains for visitors. In addition, inside the complex is the Rove Expo, the only hotel with more than 312 rooms and 19 suites. However, the high temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius will be a negative note to bear in mind.
The layout, also for the first time, will not take geographical considerations into account, but the exhibition will revolve around three specific areas: the Opportunity District, the Mobility District and, finally, the Sustainability District. However, there will also be a dedicated site for negotiation, a site with the sole purpose of hosting meetings, facilitating contacts and serving as a showcase for large international companies or start-ups.
Around a hundred artists will also participate. In addition to those mentioned above, the inauguration was attended by five-time platinum-selling British singer Ellie Goulding, and Golden Globe-winning American singer and actress Andra Day, who also performed her Grammy-winning song. But it was the national anthem and Emirati artists who kicked off the inauguration in style.
Emirates aims to prolong the shows as much as possible. The projections at the inauguration surprised both locals and visitors with their spectacular nature. The dome of Al Wasl was illuminated with different tones and themes. The centre's mimicry ranged from seabed to world map to space and, with the help of dozens of dancers and acrobats, managed to capture the attention of the spectators and provide an immersive scene.
One of the important themes that will be prominent at Dubai Expo 2020 is that of mobility. The Persian Gulf has seen some of the most remarkable developments in this area with the construction of smart cities and digitised, networked metropolitan areas. The Emirates has been a pioneer in the technology that it hopes to share and further develop in the coming months. Indeed, the Dubai Expo site will become District 2020 after the event, and one of the plans of the Emirati authorities is to build a smart city that will use at least 80 per cent of the infrastructure.
Sin embargo, en la agenda de los EAU y del resto de países participantes está el objetivo de alcanzar acuerdos para impulsar el desarrollo económico, especialmente tras una pandemia que ha sido devastadora para las economías mundiales. Y, sobre todo, un crecimiento centrado en la transición ecológica. En este sentido, Emiratos Árabes Unidos registró el mayor crecimiento en inversiones en energías renovables a nivel mundial, con un incremento del 1223% respecto a 2018, y espera continuar por el mismo camino en las próximas décadas.
