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A united front for Expo bid

More than 1,000 students and volunteers gathered to form a human chain in the configuration of the Dubai Expo 2020 logo to show where the site will be built and to show the unity of the UAE people.

The BIE Enquiry Mission flew by helicopter, on Wednesday, for an aerial tour of the greenfield location that has been identified as the spot for developing the Dubai Expo 2020 site — the Dubai Trade Centre – Jebel Ali.

As the helicopter flew above, the image below was filled with young students and volunteers from a number of schools and colleges in the UAE including Dubai Men’s College, GEMS Wellington International School and GEMS Westminster School, forming the shape of the Dubai Expo 2020 logo to signify where the site will be built.

The 438-hectare site is one of the largest sites proposed for a World Expo and is among one of the most seamlessly accessible, reflecting the Dubai Expo 2020 theme of ‘connectivity’. Its strategic location, equidistant between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, provides the best possible operational and logistical efficiencies for participants bringing in materials for their exhibitions and pavilions, as well as easy access for the expected 25 million visitors.

Situated next to the new Dubai World Central Airport and within a 10-minute proximity to Jebel Ali Port — the largest container port between Rotterdam and Singapore — the site allows for easy transit between airports and ports — an important consideration for potential Expo participants.

The site master plan has been designed as a manifestation of the country’s Expo bid theme: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. At the core of the site is an open plaza called Al Wasl (“the connection”) — an historical name for Dubai, and branching out from the plaza are three main zones that symbolise the bid’s sub-themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity. Inspired by traditional Arab souks, the design integrates the UAE’s unique architectural heritage and environment of vibrancy and trade with the requirements of the Expo, to foster the fundamental principles of innovation, partnership and collaboration between participants and visitors.

news@khaleejtimes.com