Curtain down on Expo 2020 Dubai: what's the plan now

Expo 2020 Dubai closed its doors on March 31, bringing to an end the first truly global grand scale event to take place since the pandemic began.

The expo recorded roughly 23 million visitors in total, with more than 1 million visits in its last weekend alone. A record 191 countries took part, each with its own pavilion.

The Pakistan Pavilion saw some 1.3 million visitors, and Pakistanis took to social media to celebrate after the site bagged prizes for best interior design best exterior.

It was always going to be a task to end such a large-scale event on a high note but Expo 2020 did not disappoint. On the agenda for the last day was an airshow by the Fursan Al Emarat, aerobatics team of the UAE Air Force, and performances by famed musicians Norah Jones, Christina Aguilera and Yo-Yo Ma.

Expo 2020 Dubai: Pakistan Pavilion clocks in 1 million visitors in 5 months

Visitors partied through the evening with DJ Tiësto and the fireworks displays late into the night ended the expo with a literal bang.

The official closing ceremony took place at the Al Wasl Plaza with a Sea of Nations segment, where countries waved their flags, and a UAE-based children’s choir performed Ishy Bilady, the national anthem of the UAE, joined by the all-women Firdaus Orchestra.

What happens to the site now?

The Expo 2020 Dubai was spread out over 1,083 acres and many will be wondering what will happen to this huge space.

The plan is to make the site into an “all-inclusive smart city” called District 2020, powered by 5G and the Internet of Things, with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings and routes for smart mobility and autonomous vehicles.

There will be 200,000+ square metres of commercial and residential space plus 45,000 square metres of green spaces and parks.

Some national pavilions will be broken down while the larger ones will be converted to commercial spaces (85 start-up companies will move in to the city by year-end), hospitals, clinics, schools and residences. Some of the first apartments that will be available will include the Expo village, where pavilion staff lived for six months.

The site is also being promoted as a “15-minute city” - where all amenities will be no more than 15 minutes away by foot. There will be a 10-kilometre cycling track, interconnected, wide pedestrian pathways and a 5km jogging track.

“District 2020 will evolve into a smart and sustainable mixed-use community built with human centricity at its core,” its website states, “and will contribute to the growth of Dubai’s innovation economy through a focus on key growth industries and disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, big data, and blockchain.”

Executives who worked on the project said “it was important to think of the future of the site right from the get-go and not as an after-thought,” and that “from day one when we designed the master plan for the event site, the legacy consideration of the entire site and its individual elements was paramount and as important as the event usage, or even more important”.

Expo 2020’s Sustainability Pavilion will become a children and science Centre while the Al Wasl Plaza will become a community and events space.

Japan 2025

The next expo is going to be held in Osaka, Japan where the theme will be ‘Designing Future Societies for Our Lives’.

Aiko Yabunaka, Secretary General of the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “There are a number of key learnings that we will take back from the success of Expo 2020 Dubai, especially their commitment to health and safety, and running seamless operations during a pandemic. Executing theme weeks within Expo with wider connections and messaging is an inspiration for us as well.”

So far, 80 countries have confirmed their participation in Expo 2025. This is the third time that Osaka will host a World Expo, having previously hosted the event in 1970 and 1990.