Initiatives

Together with people from across the world, we are creating meaningful impact through a range of programmes and initiatives.

Initiatives 3

Together with people from across the world, we are creating meaningful impact through a number of programmes and initiatives. 

Make Expo 2020 Dubai an engine of global innovation that both inspires and acts as a catalyst for creative and scalable solutions. 

Innovation

Establish a network for collaboration between nations, organisations and innovators via shared global challenges. 

Partnerships

Create tangible and quantifiable impact to improve the lives of people around the world by supporting the development and transfer of new solutions. .

Impact

Engage participants and stakeholders by ‘Connecting Minds’ to support solutions across Expo’s subthemes. 

Engagement

Projects supported by Expo Live all meet these objectives

Expo Live Objectives

The Expo Live programme is an innovation and partnership initiative dedicated to funding and accelerating creative solutions so that everyone on Earth can enjoy a sustainable, prosperous future. From enterprises promoting education and employment to projects in agriculture, waste reduction and beyond, Expo Live is supporting 140 grantees from 7 countries who are tackling meaningful issues in innovative ways. 
Examples of projects supported by Expo Live include Peru’s Nanas & Amas initiative, which creates opportunities for young domestic workers to continue their education, as well as MeeToo, a free app designed in the United Kingdom that provides a safe space for young people to talk about difficult subjects.
Expo Live initiatives have benefitted over 5.8 million people worldwide, demonstrating the power of social entrepreneurship as an instrument for collective action and positive change.


Global Innovators List

Live@Expo Logo

Expo Live's grant programme is dedicated to funding and accelerating creative solutions so everyone can enjoy a sustainable, prosperous future. Expo Live supports 140 grantees from 7 countries, tackling meaningful issues in innovative ways.

Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme (IIGP)

Aimed at university students looking to solve global problems that affect the region, Expo Live also awarded 46 grantees from 19 universities research and development grants and exposure to networking opportunities.  

University Innovation Programme (UIP)

Expo Live showcases the inspiring stories and innovative solutions of its global innovators in The Good Place by Expo Live, which demonstrates how innovations from all places and people can advance the pace of progress and inspire a better future.

The Good Place by Expo Live Pavilion

Expo Live's podcast allows you to hear from people who took matters into their own hands, to help those around them through innovative initiatives with social purpose. Find out how social entrepreneurs drive impact to make a difference.

Innovate With Purpose Podcast

Expo Live

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Enabling smarter trade to create a better future for everyone

Quality access to basic services including clean water, sanitation, waste management and electricity in challenging environments.

Inclusive and sustainable service delivery

Promoting alternative employment and income opportunities, women in the workplace, competitive products and services, and improved market access.

Livelihoods and enterprise development

Access to reliable and affordable healthcare, education systems and delivery.

Social development

Protecting human, economic and natural assets, through the adoption and implementation of resilience measures.

Resilient habitats

Smarter consumption and resource management to better meet increasing water, food and energy requirements for a growing global population.

Water, food and energy security

The Global Best Practice Programme highlights solutions that support these key objects

Inspiring Best Practices

Every big journey starts with a single small step in the right direction. People across the globe are taking those steps right now, in order to seek solutions that will create a healthier, happier planet. The Global Best Practice Programme is a platform that brings together innovators¬¬ from around the world and promotes them to millions of Expo visitors, so that their ideas can take root and prosper worldwide. 

At Expo 2020 Dubai, we are highlighting brilliant solutions to global challenges from 39 countries, with a special focus on projects working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Our jury selected 25 projects from over 1,000 submissions to our Global Call for proposals. We have also handpicked 20 Untold Stories from around the world, which highlight community initiatives and stories of impactful solutions for people and the planet. 

Learn more

Part of Expo Live, the Innovation Impact Grant Programme accelerates and promotes creative solutions that improve lives while preserving our world. 

Innovation Impact Grant Programme

A grant programme that calls on UAE university students to take a look at local challenges and connect with peers to come up with solutions.  

University Innovation Programme

Global Best Practice Programme 

Inside Expo: Sustainability I: The World’s Oldest Innovator

Inside Expo: Sustainability II: Harnessing the Sun

Encounter the 18 Energy Trees on Terra's landscape which were inspired by the Socotra Dragon’s Blood tree.

Sustainability Pavilion 3

Smart solutions to support the most sustainable World Expo yet.

Renewable energy systems are installed on all permanent buildings on the Expo site. Permanent buildings are also integrated with photovoltaic panels and have incorporated energy systems to support the on-site generation of renewable energy sources. 

Generating clean energy

We’re on a quest to reduce, reuse and protect water. In 2019, we achieved a 52.4% reduction of water demand in our buildings, compared to the water requirements baseline of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). 

Reducing water consumption

50% of landscape plants during Expo 2020, and 95% after the event, come from native and adaptive species. A key target is to ensure that 95% of the landscape area is managed without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. 

Promoting natural solutions

We are measuring our carbon footprint to ensure accurate and transparent quantification of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) resulting from the event. 

Minimising our carbon footprint

To engage visitors and to make our carbon offset programme more meaningful, we’ve created the Seeds of Change programme. This innovative programme lets visitors determine which carbon offsets will be purchased by Expo, as they ‘vote’ using ‘seeds’.

Pledging Seeds of Change

Ensuring that products of all sizes and shapes coming into the Expo site are safe for consumer use, manufactured and packaged in an environmentally conscious and sound manner, and provided with the appropriate certifications.

Ensuring sustainable events and operations management

We work with responsible suppliers, use sustainable materials, and the timber used on site carries sustainable forestry certification. Ninety per cent of key materials used are done so in accordance with the Sustainable Materials Guidelines. 

Using sustainable building materials

Eighty-five per cent of our waste is diverted from land fill. The Planet Over Plastic Pledge also asks International Participants and commercial partners to commit to reducing packaging and single-use materials, and recycle.

Reducing waste

We are overseeing and spearheading sustainable tourism research. This will enable key tourism stakeholders to monitor changing visitor sustainability inclinations, destination brand perception and tourism impacts over time.

Encouraging sustainable tourism 

Ways in which we’re keeping Expo 2020 Dubai as eco-friendly as possible.

Sustainable solutions in action

At Expo 2020 Dubai, we aspire to deliver the most sustainable World Expo ever. This may seem like an ambitious goal, but sustainability is ingrained in everything we’ve been doing – from buildings and construction to establishing a lasting legacy long after Expo is over. 
From recycling to promoting natural solutions, we hope to inspire others to reaffirm their commitment to the environment and protecting Earth for future generations. All of our actions are geared towards creating positive environmental impacts on a national, regional and global scale, and support the Dubai Plan 2021, UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 


Terra aims to be LEED Platinum certified and has photovoltaic panels across its roof and energy trees. Focusing on the planet’s natural wonders and what we can do to protect them, Terra aims to inspire visitors to become agents of change.  

 Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion

Expo 2020 will serve as a blueprint for a viable future, establishing sustainable benchmarks and leaving a meaningful legacy. Over 80 per cent of Expo’s structures will also be repurposed in District 2020. 

What happens after Expo 2020 ends? 

Sustainability at Expo

Urban and Rural Development Week - Bringing Nature Into The Cities at Terra the Auditorium Web Image m8355

Sparking global dialogue and inspiring new perspectives.

For generations, the majlis – “council” or “place of sitting” in Arabic – has been a pillar of Emirati society, offering the community an open forum to discuss matters of consequence. Expo 2020 is spotlighting this vital tradition with the World Majlis Programme, a series of stimulating conversations that bring Expo’s ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ theme to life. 

The World Majlis programme will stage regular conversations during Expo 2020. Each conversation will bring together 8 to 10  globally recognised thought- leaders who are invited for their exceptional contributions to the theme and unique perspective on the topic. In each majlis, students and members of the public are also encouraged to contribute and engage.  


World Majlis Events

World Majlis

The World Majlis Programme is a series of stimulating conversations that bring Expo’s ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ theme to life through regular conversations with thought-leaders during Expo 2020.

High school and university students discuss themes that impact our future. The Next Gen World Majlis enriches the World Majlis programme by providing the perspective of young people during and after Expo 2020.

Next Gen World Majlis

Engage in a series of conversations that focus on vital women’s issues presented in collaboration with the Women’s Pavilion. The Women’s World Majlis focuses on women’s perspectives at the heart of each of the Expo thematic weeks. 

Women’s World Majlis 

Four illustrated volumes that expand on the ideas in the World Majlis. Celebrated thinkers and thought leaders contribute their reflections and thoughts, and elaborate on key issues and important ideas from World Majlis conversations.

World Majlis: The Essays

In this Inside Expo podcast episode, we look at the rich history of the majlis in the UAE and how its values have been instilled in the spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai. And everyone's invited.

The Rich History of the Majlis

Expo School Programme 1

Fun and meaningful events and initiatives that encourage students to learn with Expo. 

The Expo School Programme is series of initiatives that will inspire educators and students to explore Expo 2020 in classrooms, schools and beyond. Expo 2020 is a once-in-a-lifetime event that brings people from all corners of the world together to collaborate, address challenges and leverage opportunities for a better world, and these programmes aim to inspire children of all ages to seize this incredible learning opportunity.
From international children’s stories to virtual quests to opera and innovation competitions, the Expo 2020 School Programme provides a wealth of resources for teachers and students alike.


Expo 2020 YOUTH CONNECT Logo

Free tickets take UAE school students on journeys through Expo's Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability districts as well as pavilions celebrating the UAE. Each journey is an immersive learning experience, aligned with diverse UAE school curricula.

Expo School Journeys

Part of the World Majlis programme, the Next Gen World Majlis fosters conversations with and amongst our nation’s youth on a variety of topics and themes that matter for the future. 

Expo School Discoveries is a series of fun and exciting UAE inter-school competitions. There’s plenty of learning and fun in store for students as they discover the history of Expo and the sub-themes of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Expo School Discoveries

The Expo 2020 mascots are your guides through these interactive tours through Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability! No matter which you choose, you will see the wonder of nature, the impact of humans and hope for the future.

Expo Adventures Interactive Tours and Games

Expo 2020 Young Stars offers an opportunity for students to showcase their talents to the world at the spectacular Al Wasl Plaza. School students present interpretive performances to celebrate the vision of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Expo 2020 Young Stars

Inspired by the ‘Al Wasl’ Emirati opera commissioned especially for Expo 2020 Dubai, Nasheed Al Wasl (Al Wasl Song) is an education and outreach programme that makes opera accessible to students.

Nasheed Al Wasl

Now a 3D-printed exhibition at Terra, Expo Young Innovators was an invitation to students to tap into their empathy and unleash their creativity by developing an innovation using themes of The Planet, Smart Health, Future Mobility and Work and Play. 

Expo Young Innovators

Bringing together over 70 traditional tales from participating countries, this unique anthology is reflective of the UAE’s own diversity and enables young readers to immerse themselves in an enthralling landscape of storytelling cultures. 

Children’s Tales from Around the World

Give your students a glimpse into a world where creativity, innovation and collaboration thrive. Get them excited about Expo 2020 themes of Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability through our curated class material.

Learning Resources

Students were invited to take part in Expo Quests, a series of exciting treasure hunts where they can discover hidden gems along virtual journeys planned for schools for the duration of the event weeks. 

Expo Champions 

Experience Expo 2020 Dubai through the eyes of the young ones and how they got to be key-players, stakeholders and shapers of this world event.

Ode to the Young Ones

Expo School Programme

Inside Expo: Connecting Tech and Health: The Worker Wellness Program

Workers welfare 1

Ensuring the highest standards for our workforce.

During peak construction, some 40,000 construction workers contributed to Expo 2020 Dubai. We see ensuring their health, safety, welfare and dignity as a social responsibility embedded in the goal of a sustainable Expo. Beyond stringent safety standards and fair work practices, this commitment extends to include worker villages that embrace diverse backgrounds, a first-of-its-kind emergency aid centre and worker celebration days that offer some much-needed rest and relaxation, all of which aim to support each individual holistically, offering them care on and off the clock. Expo 2020 is also paving the way for future events to improve their safety standards with a pioneering Worker Wellness Programme that harnesses wearable technology to measure health. All of these initiatives add up to honour the workers of today and tomorrow through world-class standards. 


Our high standards are bound into every Expo 2020 contract. On site workers benefit from access to an Emergency Aid Centre, as well as a Worker Wellness Programme, in partnership with Whoop, that utilises wearable tech to measure health.

Worker Welfare 

All employees benefit from a programme supporting physical and mental health, offering universal access to counselling with a dedicated psychologist. Expo also has a comprehensive Health, Safety, Quality and Environment policy for all employees. 

Wellness of Staff

Designed by Asif Khan, the Expo 2020 Dubai Worker’s Monument is a celebration of the people who built the Expo. A broad curve of 38 columns, the monument is inscribed with the name of every construction worker involved in Expo’s creation.

The Worker’s Monument

Worker Welfare Programme 

Sonic Planetarium – Dripping Lunar Sextet.

Shining a spotlight on arts and culture at Expo 2020 through a series of creative initiatives.

From art installations and programmes to creative cultural hubs, Expo 2020 Dubai is putting a spotlight on arts and culture through a series of public projects. Working with a roster of creatives both local and internationally-recognised, renowned and up-and-coming, these projects offer an array of perspectives and interpretations of Expo’s themes, as well as the history and culture of the wider region, comprising a plethora of engaging experiences. By taking a deep dive into Dubai’s history, they establish a connection between its cultural roots and a vibrant, thriving artistic future.  

11 permanent art works are installed in Expo 2020’s public realm. Inspired by 11th century mathematician, astronomer and physicist Ibn al Haytham's seminal "Book of Optics", these works examine the relationship between the imagined and the perceived.

Public Art Programme

Blending cultural traditions with modern artistry, MENASA, which means ‘Platform’ in Arabic, is Expo 2020’s Design and Crafts Programme. Here, explore contemporary collections designed exclusively by over 40 local and international designers. 

MENASA

Terra is home to five thought-provoking art installations from artists around the world, with each piece demonstrating a response to the issue of sustainability.

Terra Art Installations

Sameem presents the spirit of the UAE and its people’s ability to persevere and prosper by seeking the essence in everything around them. This open-air pavilion showcase the UAE’s three distinct landscapes via an immersive journey.

Sameem

Ever-evolving community art project Hammour House raises awareness about endangered coral ecosystems through a vibrant, walk through a participatory ‘reef’ art work comprised of recycled materials.

Hammour House

The Bedouin art of sadu weaving forms part of the fabric of Emirati life. At Expo 2020, visitors can discover the Sadu Exhibition – an open-air majlis structure with live demonstrations offering an insight into this traditional craft.

Sadu

A custom that dates back to Bedouin times, sabeels are public water fountains providing free refreshment to travellers. At Expo, the sabeel has been reimagined by artists and designers, celebrating tradition and providing visitors with fresh water.

Sabeel Fountains

Arts and Culture 

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An array of especially commissioned pieces that celebrate Expo 2020 Dubai and its themes through sounds and lively performances. 

Expo 2020 Dubai has specially commissioned a plethora of musical pieces and performances that will celebrate the event and its key themes. These include a unique and captivating musical, a visionary orchestral ensemble, an enchanting opera that charts the formation of the UAE and even a catchy official song. With music as a universal language, it is the aim of these pieces to reinforce Expo’s key theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ by bringing audiences together via shared experiences and forming new connections to one other. 

Showcasing Al Wasl Opera, the enchanting musical tale of the UAE as a connector between civilisations, bringing to life the nation’s innovative spirit.

Al Wasl Opera

Developed exclusively for Expo 2020, the Firdaus Orchestra is a visionary ensemble of 50 female musicians from across the Arab world, mentored and conducted by Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman. 

Firdaus Orchestra

This mesmerising water show blends sights and sounds into an awe-inspiring spectacle, perfectly choreographed to music written especially for Expo 2020 Dubai by award-winning composer, Ramin Djawadi. 

Surreal

A landmark musical spectacle launched by Expo 2020 Dubai. Directed by renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and music by multi award-winning composer A.R. Rahman, Why? The Musical aims to take audiences on an incredible journey of discovery.

Why? The Musical

A musical collaboration between Hussain Al Jassmi, Almas and Mayssa Karaa, This Is Our Time is Expo 2020 Dubai’s official song, celebrating the UAE, the future and Expo’s overarching theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

This Is Our Time

Music and Performance 

Expo Present

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Expo Legacy

The first Expo in the 170-year history of the World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region, Expo 2020 Dubai is a transformative global gathering that celebrates humanity.

Expo 2020 Dubai Initiatives

Programmes Listing