The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are our global blueprint for a better world, and a statement of our collective ambition for dignified and equal opportunities for all. This spectacular visual experience at the heart of the Expo site, Al Wasl Plaza, will bring the Goals to life for all visitors and engage changemakers from around the world to realise a brighter future by 2030.

Bringing the Goals to Life

Global Goal @ Al Wasl

In association with the United Nations, Global Goals Week will launch at Expo 2020 Dubai, at Al Wasl Plaza in a spectacular show bringing the Goals to life for everyone.

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

Opportunity I: The Global Goals and Expo 2020

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are our global blueprint for a better world, a collective ambition for equal opportunities for all. During the week, Expo will showcase not just how far we have come, but also how we can join forces and unite to achieve this international roadmap. In addition, the Global Goals Week will shed light on best practices in last-mile delivery, livelihood and the women and girls agenda. 

A Global Stage for the SDGs

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What do we need to do together today for a better world in 2030?

Global Goals Week

The 2022 Global Goals Ceremony Live, Dubai

Marking Human Rights Day, the Dignified Storytelling Forum is a high-level forum bringing together stakeholders, partners, policymakers and practitioners within the field of storytelling to discuss the importance of dignified storytelling in policy and practice, and its impact on individuals, organisations and countries. The Forum presents an  opportunity to affirm the Dignified Storytelling Principles, committing to them at all levels through the Dignified Storytelling Pledge.


Advocating for and celebrating stories told with deep respect, full transparency, and social responsibility.

children running

As Expo brings the world together, the Dignified Storytelling Forum reminds us of the common humanity we share and the stories we can create together.  

Dubai Exhibition Centre - Audio Guide

Dubai Exhibition Center

Dubai Exhibition Center 3

Expo 2020 connects minds from around the globe. These connections are not limited to the pavilions and parks, but also extend to the vast Dubai Exhibition Centre: a new, state-of-the-art venue for conferences, concerts and more. 

Conveniently located next to the recently completed Expo 2020 metro station, with striking views of the magnificent domed Al Wasl Plaza, the DEC offers 45,000 square metres of customisable event space, 14 exhibition and multi-use halls, on-site catering, and best-in-class audio-visual resources.


A light geometric pattern decorates the DEC’s extraordinarily broad front façade, which features a giant overhanging arch over the entrance to the central plaza area, as well as sloped surfaces that seem to angle away from the entrance like a pair of wings

Dubai Exhibition centre 2

event space

A sleek

Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC)

Human Rights Day aims to ensure human dignity through the guarantee of opportunity and hope for all. It is a celebration that focuses on facilitating access to service provision and the basic rights of every individual. Co-curated with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Human Rights Day at Expo 2020 Dubai will convene experts, thought leaders, youth, policymakers, innovators and changemakers to discuss best practices and success stories in taking a rights-based approach to the Sustainable Development Goals, while considering what we can all do to supercharge a better 2030 for people and the planet.

Human Rights Day

Dignified Storytelling Forum

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.

Knowing One Another Better

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Build Bridges 

Build Bridges Icon

Join a panel of experts for a discussion on professionalising talents of migrant and refugee women for economic prosperity and employment.

Path to Dignified Employment

A panel discussion on professionalising talents of migrant and refugee women for economic prosperity and employment.

Dubai: ‘Expo Live’ benefits 5.8 million people worldwide

Expo 2020 Dubai to fund small start-ups with big impact

Inside Expo: The Future of Wellness

The Good Place - Audio Guide

The Good Place by Expo Live Pavilion

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The Good Place Image Gallery

In February 1968, this nation's founding fathers met under a desert tent and shared an idea that would turn into something truly great: the United Arab Emirates. Animated by this spirit of collaboration, The Good Place by Expo Live is an exhibition space dedicated to showcasing human potential and those who work to advance it – through the Expo Live innovation and partnership programme and beyond.

With a design inspired by the tent where the UAE was conceived, the pavilion showcases social innovations conceived to improve our lives. Come and meet ordinary people doing extraordinary things – and be inspired to join our global community.


The Good Place Logo(1)

Designed by renowned Emirati architect Ahmad Abdulrahman Bukhash, The Good Place’s structure expands the Bedouin tent shape into an elegant white canopy, folded with seven origami-like angles on each side to join at a tall peak. The tent seems to float over a clean, glass box. 

The Good Place by Expo Live

Bedouin tent 

An elevated

By Expo Live

The Good Place

With our planet today home to 7.8 billion people, we put the spotlight on co-existence, understanding different faiths, creating inclusive dialogue, and so much more. During this Theme Week, Expo will provide a platform for diverse voices from all corners of the world to reimagine how spaces, environments and storytelling can become more inclusive by focusing on multiculturalism and peaceful co-existence.

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How can we foster a greater common understanding to enable more tolerant and inclusive societies?

Tolerance & Inclusivity Week

France Pavilion

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Image gallery

Centuries ago, Paris earned the nickname “City of Light” for its early adoption of street lighting, which lit the way for great leaps in human development. With the France Pavilion, the nation brings this same concept to Expo 2020 in quintessentially French style, offering a collection of luminous spaces that explore how light enables human progress.
From the illuminated surfaces on the pavilion’s exterior to the glowing dreamscapes and lighthouse within, you’ll bask in an array of radiant exhibits, with a special emphasis on French mobility. Best of all, the photovoltaic tiles on the pavilion’s outer façade mean it’s all powered sustainably.

France Logo

Image gallery 

At first glance, the France Pavilion simply looks like a linked complex of grey, squared structures - a massive upside-down “L” shape hanging in space over a central plaza. And then, the lights blaze on: more than 2,000 square metres of illuminated surfaces cover almost the entire façade of the pavilion, from ceilings to walls.

France Pavilion Web Image m3737

of light

Pavilion 

Malaysia 1

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Malaysia Carousel

Malaysia’s Taman Negara is the worlds' most ancient tropical rainforest – and the country’s pavilion at Expo 2020 is here to show us how they’ll keep it healthy for future generations. With its net-zero green design and simulated rainforest canopies, the Malaysia Pavilion presents an inspiring vision for a sustainable future.

The pavilion takes visitors along a woodland path through 3D graphical experiences, “groves” of digitally enhanced columns and exhibits that explore Malaysia’s commitment to balancing economic and environmental health. You can also enjoy Malaysian flavours at the café or a performance in the outdoor amphitheatre.


“Walkable movie” that journeys through stunning landscapes and outer space

Walkable movie 

3D exhibits

Find Malaysian handicrafts and goods in the pavilion gift shop. 

Gift shop

Malaysia Features

Malaysia logo

The Malaysia Pavilion creates the illusion of a floating jungle canopy with four large, softly rounded, interlocking pods that hover more than five metres above the ground on clusters of slim white metal stilts.

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A floating 

Malaysia Pavilion 

Ling Sook Shian

Donia Amamra

Expo Live Impact Series: Path to Dignified Employment

Back in 2015, United Nations unveiled the Sustainable Development Goals as a means to work towards a better future. Expo 2020 Dubai’s purpose embodies the two main pillars of these goals: sustainability and opportunity. The global COVID-19 pandemic has further proved the urgency of this global agenda. As this mega-event takes place, Expo 2020 Dubai will become the center of commitment and action in ensuring that no one is left behind. The Leave No One Behind Track of Expo 2020 Dubai's Programme for People and Planet features a tapestry of event series that spotlight the importance of opportunity for all, gender equality and much more.

Catalysing Opportunity for All

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Leave No One Behind

LNOB Icon

Expo Live's Impact Series highlights the impact of social and environmental innovations. Taking place at The Good Place by Expo Live Pavilion, Expo Live Global Innovators join change-makers around the world to discuss their visions towards collective action and meaningful change.

Description

Join a dialogue about social innovations and their impact showcasing Expo Live Global Innovators.

Expo Live Impact Series

Join a session on inclusivity in a lecture by Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, The first lady of Panama in 2004, and Member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She will also speak about her activism in favour of people of determination.

Sin Etiquetas

A lecture on inclusivity by Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, Member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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

Inside Expo: Sustainability II: Harnessing the Sun

The Powerhouse Pavilions

Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion - Audio Guide

Terra

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Terra - Carousel

At Expo 2020, sustainability is an urgent, attainable reality, and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion is the proof. Both immersive exhibition space and exemplar of environmental self-sufficiency, Terra is a pioneering piece of architecture that pushes the limits of renewable design.

The pavilion’s 130-metre-wide solar canopy – so vast that you could park 10 city buses head-to-tail atop it – converts sunshine into electricity for the exhibits below. Artfully funnelled natural light and local plant species, together with technologies that can reduce water consumption by 75 per cent, show the way to a sustainable future.


Inspiring experiential journey through our shared sustainable future

Two immersive paths to choose from: beneath a forest and beneath an ocean

LEED Platinum environmental features, including solar power and water recycling

Terra 

terra

Videos

Terra is a super-sized marvel of forward-thinking design. The pavilion’s technology generates enough energy in a year to power a Nissan Leaf to drive halfway to Mars, while another system captures moisture from the air you breathe and turns it into drinkable water. Enter and take a fantastical journey through the wonders of nature, humanity’s challenges and the promise of our shared future. 


terra 

of harmonious living

A model

The Sustainability Pavilion

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

Young visitors can explore a fantastical world inspired by Terra's very own octopus, Octavia.

Octavia's Playground

Timelapse of Terra 

Expo co-curating with the UAE Ministry of Community Development, and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will focus on celebrating the achievements of inclusion and participation, increasing accessibility and mobility, and exploring opportunities and innovative solutions for an inclusive future for all. Through a vibrant agenda of discussions and activations, this Day will underscore the importance of leaving no one behind, and of reducing stereotypes around persons with disabilities. The theme for IDPD this year is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - Flagship

Panama 1 

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Image Gallery 

This small tropical nation has had a colossal influence on international trade and travel for centuries – moving people, cargo and, more recently, digital data across oceans and between the Americas. The Panama Pavilion at Expo 2020 puts you right in the middle of the action with a virtual-reality cruise through its trademark Panama Canal, the man-made wonder that links the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. You’ll also time travel through an immersive tour of Panama’s history, explore exhibits on the nation’s forward-thinking sustainability and tourism initiatives, and savour delicious Panamanian dishes.

Bringing the Goals to Life

Global Goals Week.