Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced on Monday the opening of the Expo City Dubai in early October.
Sheikh Mohammed made the announcement after the historic success of Expo 2020 Dubai, which was visited by more than 24 million people and left a mark on the 170-year history of World Expositions.
"Today, we announce the transformation of the exhibition site into Expo City Dubai, a new city that represents the ambitions of Dubai."
He tweeted the announcement, adding that "Expo City Dubai will be an environmentally-friendly city that caters to families and future generations. A city connected to a port and two airports, and also to beautiful memories in the hearts and minds of millions of people."
The new city will include a new museum, a world-class exhibition center, and the headquarters of cutting-edge and fast-growing companies. It will continue to host the pavilions of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, and others.
"It will be a city that embodies the dreams of every city."
Expo City Dubai – the legacy plan of Expo 2020 Dubai and part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan – builds on the momentum and resounding success of the six-month World Expo to create an environmentally-friendly, tech-enabled city of the future.
The city will open on October 1, 2022, and will include several flagship pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Expo Dubai also contains a group of diverse attractions, offices, recreational facilities, restaurants, cafes, sports clubs, and a shopping center reachable via the Dubai Metro.
The city includes the Dubai Exhibition Center, which provides world-class services for hosting exhibitions and conferences.
Several of Expo 2020 Dubai's most important attractions will remain in the new city, including the iconic al-Wasl Plaza, the Garden in the Sky observation tower, and the Surreal water feature. Alif, the Mobility Pavilion and Terra, and the Sustainability Pavilion will live on as interactive educational experiences.
Later this year, the Opportunity Pavilion will become the Expo 2020 Dubai Museum – a new addition highlighting the history and impact of the World Expos and celebrating the success of the six-month event.
Other attractions for visitors include the Women's Pavilion, which highlights women change-makers from around the world, and the Vision Pavilion, honoring the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
Visitors will also be able to explore the falcon-inspired UAE Pavilion and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion. Details of several other Country Pavilions – including reworked versions of Luxembourg, Australia, Pakistan, India, Morocco, and Egypt will be announced in the coming months.
Expo City Dubai will be free of single-use plastic and retain 80 percent of the infrastructure and buildings that have been constructed. It will also be the first WELL-certified community in the region, demonstrating the built environment's positive impact on health and wellness.
