Join us in celebrating BIE Honour Day at Expo 2020 Dubai.

BIE Honour Day Ceremony

Join us in celebrating BIE's Honour Day at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Inside Expo_New

Architecture II: Al Wasl Plaza

Exhibitor logo

EXHIBITOR Magazine's World Expo Awards

EXHIBITOR Magazine Announces World Expo Award Winners

Al Wasl Plaza

Al Wasl 

Notice the Expo logo at the centre of Al Wasl Plaza's oculus.

Al Wasl Dome 3

Experience a towering structure under which the Leaning Tower of Pisa could fit.

Al Wasl 4

Al Wasl Plaza Images

The Opening Ceremony: A Story of Hope

Expo 2020 Dubai, the first Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region in the 170 years of World Expo history, opened with a celebration of global togetherness and optimism. Spectacular storytelling, performances, fireworks, and immersive projections on the dome of Al Wasl, the heart of Expo 2020, all told a story of collaboration and hope for the future, echoing Expo 2020 Dubai's theme of "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". Global artists joining in the celebration included Andrea Bocelli, Ellie Goulding, Lang Lang and Mohammed Abdu.

Description 

General view of Al Wasl Plaza 

The first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, Expo 2020 opened with a celebration of global connection and hope for the future.

Jaw-dropping immersive projections beginning with the fiery birth of our planet.

A celebration of the majesty of nature, both underwater and on land.

Incredible local and international performers.

Image Gallery

Expo 2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony

Long ago, travellers referred to Dubai as Al Wasl, or “the connection” – a name that reflects the area’s heritage as a meeting point. This spirit of coming together takes shape in Al Wasl Plaza, Expo 2020’s spectacular centrepiece and gathering ground for celebration and wonder. 

Situated at the meeting point of Expo’s three thematic districts, Al Wasl Plaza's dome is tall enough to fit the Leaning Tower of Pisa beneath it. By night, she transforms into a 360-degree projection screen, blanketed by more than 250 state-of-the-art projectors. Al Wasl Plaza is a hub for visitors and the vibrant heart of our Expo.

UAE flag

Daily performances, national day ceremonies and more

Al Wasl Dome Projections

Immersive 360-degree domed projection screen

Al Wasl exterior

Lush garden spaces for relaxation and connection

Al Wasl features

Al Wasl Logo-01

Al Wasl Plaza 360

Al Wasl Plaza is 130 metres in diameter and more than 67 metres tall. Delicate-looking despite its titanic scale, her pattern is inspired by our Expo's logo, which is fully visible at the oculus.

and magical

Extraordinary

The life force of the Expo 2020 site, Al Wasl Plaza proudly carries the old name of Dubai.

The beating heart of Expo 2020

A series of immersive 360° videos of Al Wasl's projection shows that put you centre stage for each stunning performance. 

DUBAI, 12 October 2021. Underwater Harmony performance at Al Wasl, Expo 2020 Dubai. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Expo 2020 Dubai)


Underwater Harmony performance at Al Wasl

Al Wasl Plaza 360° Immersive Experiences

The Beating Heart of Expo 2020

The Beating Heart of Expo

Cultural performance during The Bureau International des Expositions Day at Al Wasl m70970

Cultural performance during The Bureau International des Expositions Day at Al Wasl m70973

Cultural performance during The Bureau International des Expositions Day at Al Wasl m70976

Cultural performance during The Bureau International des Expositions Day at Al Wasl m70981

Join us in celebrating BIE's Honour Day at Expo 2020

BIE Honour Day

BIE Honour Day Ceremony 

Bureau International des Expositions' honour day at Expo 2020 Dubai ends with a special awards ceremony that recognises the contributions made by International Participants. Expo 2020 Dubai Official Participant Award winners will be named, alongside recipients of BIE Medals, the BIE-Cosmos Prize, and Innovation Award winners.

BIE Day Awards

DIE Day Awards

A special awards ceremony that recognises contributions made by International Participants to Expo 2020 Dubai.

Jubilee Park Web Image m5473 (1)

With a striking design inspired by fossilised sand dunes, Jubilee Stage is an open-air festival stage. Located in Jubilee Park, it hosts performances and large concerts.

Jubilee Stage

A group photo of the Commissioners Generals of Expo 2020 Pavilions with Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, His Excellency Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary G

A Japanese performer during the BIE Ceremony of Prizes and Awards at Jubilee Stage m71154

His Excellency Dimitri Kerkentzes (L1), Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions awards Nangula Uaandja (L2), Commissioner General of the Namibia Pavilion the BIE-Cosmos Prize for “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

Taiko drummers during the BIE Ceremony of Prizes and Awards at Jubilee Stage m71159

Taiko drummers during the BIE Ceremony of Prizes and Awards at Jubilee Stage m71160

Over the course of six months and 10 theme weeks, the World Majlis at Expo 2020 Dubai has convened some of the most diverse and original voices from across the world to discuss the greatest challenges facing humanity.

These discussions within the context of a World Expo, held against the backdrop of an increasingly unpredictable and threatened world, lay the foundation for a conversation on what it would take to build a better future – one where people and planet, the young and the experienced, institutions and the communities they serve, work in partnership with each other to navigate and thrive in an uncertain tomorrow.

In this final edition of the World Majlis at Expo 2020 we explore insights from the previous World Majlis conversations to talk about how to navigate a complex future:

How do we better frame our place in the world – in relation to our planet(s), and new realities within which we must exist?

How do we equip ourselves with better knowledge - of the world and ourselves, to thrive in a future of uncertainty?

How do we prioritise wellbeing as the new currency – for the individual,
the community and the planet?

A Shared Future: Reframing a Better Future for All

A Shared Future - photo 

A special and final World Majlis session, organized with the BIE, that explores insights from previous World Majlis conversations and discusses how to navigate a complex future. 

A Shared Future: Reframing a better future for all

Session programme - A Shared Future

World Majlis | A Shared Future 

Explore a series of exciting conversations inspired by the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai. The World Majlis is a vibrant forum where diverse points of views are shared on important topics of our time. Each conversation brings together globally recognised thought-leaders who are invited for their exceptional contributions to the theme and their unique perspective on the topic. In each Majlis, students and members of the public are also welcome to contribute and engage.

World Majlis

Conversations on complex issues that bring together thought leaders, visionaries and changemakers.

World Expos have always been meeting places for people across cultures and geographies; an opportunity to come together and celebrate human ingenuity and forge meaningful human connections. As the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and with the participation of more than 192 countries, Expo 2020 Dubai looks to take this legacy even further. The Build Bridges track of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Programme for People and Planet features a tapestry of event series and experiences that celebrate our common humanity and the vital connections that can help us prosper together as a worldwide community.

BIE Honour Day Ceremony

Image Gallery

BIE Honour Day.