Despite the delay and other challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dubai World Expo, held over a six-month period from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, was a success for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Middle East nation built a $7-billion global community with unique and impressive buildings on more than 1,000 acres of reclaimed desert and welcomed more than 23 million people for the quinquennial event. French president Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud were among the key dignitaries who attended Dubai World Expo. Notable musicians like Alicia Keys, Yo-Yo-Ma, and Christina Aguilera entertained audiences.
As much as the event was a success, its legacy will be determined by what Dubai does with the space in the future. Most previous World Expo sites have become “white elephants” with no practical use or purpose. However, Dubai has been implementing a plan to prevent this from happening since it first started building the infrastructure required for the site. Tim van Vrijaldenhoven, an urban planning expert, believes Dubai will continue to make use of the site. The city is growing rapidly and has accounted for the World Expo facilities in an urban master plan.
Below is a look at how Dubai plans to transform the World Expo site into a 15-minute smart city, with some recent examples of tenants moving into the new Expo City Dubai.
Expo City Dubai: A Repurposed 15-Minute Smart City
Dubai’s master plan for the Expo 2020 site is to transform it into Expo City Dubai, previously named District 2020. The emirate plans to use about 80 percent of the existing infrastructure in its new “human-centric smart city,” which will include residential areas, office buildings, recreation and dining facilities, a metro station, and expansive green spaces, including more than 45,000 square meters of parks and gardens. It is expected to be the world’s largest city with full 5G network coverage. This should make it an attractive destination for technology companies.
“Expo City is going to be a smart city, right? So, it’s like a major playground for different AI-related technologies, including computer vision, natural language processing, machine learning and human-computer interaction,” said Dr. Ling Shao, president of Terminus International. “All these technologies can be used in a smart city scenario. That’s why a lot of highly advanced technological companies are going to be based at the Expo City to collaborate with the Expo City and contribute to the development.”
In addition to smart technology integration, Expo City Dubai will be the first 15-minute city in the UAE, with autonomous vehicle roads and pedestrian walkways connecting neighborhoods. The idea is that people will be able to access everything they need in their daily lives within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.
Expo Village
Dubai has already made substantial progress in its goal of repurposing the World Expo site, most notably with the development of Expo Village. This site, developed by the Dubai World Trade Centre, served as the official on-site residence for visitors to the World Expo and, in October 2023, achieved full occupancy for Residences 4, one of its four community clusters.
Each of these community clusters feature a fully equipped gym, children’s playground, and swimming pool, with quick access to vital amenities and the 37,000-square-meter Expo Park. The Dubai World Trade Centre also partnered with UNBOX, a renowned workspace company, to create the Expo Village WorkHub co-working space.
The Exhibition Centre
The Dubai Exhibition Centre, a 45,000-square-meter venue built for World Expo 2020, has continued to host major events since the conclusion of its raison d’être. Most notably, it hosted the COP28 United Nations Climate Change Conference from November 30 to December 13, 2023. This was the biggest event of its kind, bringing together around 85,000 people, including more than 150 world leaders. The Dubai Exhibition Centre also hosts various trade shows.
DP World Headquarters
Several prominent global businesses, including Siemens and DP World, have either already opened offices there or are exploring the possibility of moving their headquarters to Expo City Dubai. DP World, a worldwide supply chain solutions provider, announced in December, 2023, that it was moving its headquarters from Jebel Ali to Expo City. The new nine-story office will feature more than 37,000 square meters of space and an automated parking lot with electric car charging facilities.
University of Wollongong Research Center
Australia’s University of Wollongong (UOW) is planning to redevelop the Australian Expo Pavilion in a collaborative research center known as the Data Science, Discovery, and Innovation Center. The Australian government gifted the building to the institution after the end of the World Expo. These plans are aligned with Dubai’s goal of transforming the World Expo site into a hub of innovation and technology.
UOW has had a campus in Dubai since 1993. The new research center will advance its research in data science and emerging technologies as well as create employment opportunities for Emiratis in healthcare, analytics, cybersecurity, and other sectors.