Inside Expo Expo 2020 Dubai

On March 31, 2022, the history-making 6-month event that was Expo 2020 Dubai officially closed her doors. Her last heartbeats emanated from Al Wasl Plaza at 7:45 PM. The closing ceremony marked an end to a decade-plus long journey and celebrated a new beginning for the city of Dubai and the world.

 

In the very last episode of our series we say goodbye to Expo 2020 Dubai, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Inside the Opportunity pavilion is a room called Mission Possible. In this room, nearly half a million people made pledges to take small but consistent steps in their day to day lives, for a better world. The Opportunity pavilion was inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, breaking down 17 ambitious goals into steps and projects that each one of us can employ.

In the second part of our series on the theme of Opportunity at Expo 2020 Dubai, we will embark on a tour inside Mission Possible, Expo’s Opportunity Pavilion, and take a closer look at the intention behind its design. 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

What does it mean when you talk about the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and how do you make it accessible in a way that really resonates with everybody?

 

As one of the three main sub themes of Expo 2020, Opportunity has an intended purpose: to put words into action. The Global Goals are the perfect expression of what opportunity means.

In the first of this two part series about Opportunity at Expo 2020 Dubai, we discover how, in a period of six months, the Global Goals for a brighter, more prosperous future came to life and inspired action by potentially thousands, if not millions of people. 

 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

At the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, right next to Al Wasl Plaza, is the elegant pavilion of the United Arab Emirates. It’s futuristic-looking and avante-garde. An architectural marvel with literal wings, inspired by the national symbol of the United Arab Emirates: the falcon.

 

In this episode, we take a look at the architecture of the UAE pavilion, Alif the mobility pavilion, and Terra the sustainability pavilion. How do they continue a long tradition of World Expos being a platform for architectural innovation? 

 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

When many of us think of ancient civilizations our minds may venture to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia or India. But it turns out that there was a centre of trade right in the middle of the desert just south of Dubai that connects with each of these ancient civilizations called Saruq Al-Hadid, and it’s believed to have existed as far back as the Iron Age 4,000 years ago.

 

Of all the many artefacts found at Saruq Al-Hadid a tiny golden ring stood out. This golden  ring, now a symbol of Emirati heritage and pride, inspired Expo 2020’s logo, and even Al Wasl Plaza, the centrepiece of the site. In this episode, we’ll tell the story of the  communities that lived in Saruq Al-Hadid and how they helped create a ring that came to represent Expo 2020 Dubai.  

 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

What at Expo 2020 Dubai will be in popular culture 20 years from now? That’s the question Charles Pappas asks himself while walking around the site. Charles is the author of a history on World Expos called ‘Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords’. Over the years, World Expos have shaped history, individual lives, and popular culture. 

 

In this episode, we give the mic to Charles Pappas to tell us several little stories that prove how World Expos not only influence pop culture, but make it. 

 

This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.