Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai and a host of its participating countries will be showcasing a range of developments that will change the way we live in the future. Expo’s specially curated ‘Cities of the Future’ journey will take visitors on a tour to some of these pavilions to illustrate how thinkers, innovators and planners are using advanced materials, smart technology and big data to make citizens safer, healthier, happier and more productive.
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion, with 6.7 billion projected to live in urban areas. As such, the cities of tomorrow will not be accidental. Every block, building and brick represents countless choices with visions articulated on different scales, from surrounding ecosystems, to architecture, infrastructure and interior spaces.
Five country pavilions to see on your ‘Cities of the Future’ journey
From buildings that incorporate natural elements to spaces that can quickly transform to meet changing housing or business needs, these five pavilions demonstrate how we can thrive in the face of challenges and change.
The Belgium Pavilion hones in on smart mobility and examines how AI can be used to help solve the pressing issues of our time. Reflecting the country’s trademark 'Belgitude' – an expression of the Belgian soul and identity – the pavilion demonstrates how it is charting a course for its future with its industrial, technological and scientific prowess.
Located in the Sustainability District, the innovative, interactive and collaborative Sweden Pavilion, known as ‘The Forest’, brings to life a growing and perfectly balanced eco-system. Under the theme ‘Co-Creation for innovation’, the pavilion reveals an array of best-practice examples around smart cities, next-generation transport and the bio-circular economy.
Reflecting ‘new India’, the India Pavilion highlights how the country is turning more than 100 cities 'smart', more sustainable and more citizen-friendly through its Smart Cities Mission while defining the country’s potential to become a global power through its ‘Five Ts’ – Talent, Trade, Tradition, Tourism and Technology.
Visitors can put the cities of today (and tomorrow) to the test at the Future City Lab at the Germany Pavilion, while exploring interactive exhibits to discover how cities will function in decades to come. A key feature of the pavilion will be a ropeless lift that can travel horizontally and vertically. Instead of using ropes, the multi cabins are powered by magnetic technology. Known as maglev, this magnetic technology, which forgoes the use of ropes, is similar to that used in high-speed trains in Japan and Germany.
China Pavilion
Experience 5G, AI and smart travel at the lantern-shaped China Pavilion, which re-imagines the way we will live and work with ground-breaking innovations. Under the theme ‘Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind – Innovation & Opportunity’, the pavilion will exhibit future-shaping technologies including the world’s largest radio satellite, able to detect interstellar signals from alien life; autonomous vehicles; and a geo-location system capable of tracking up to a few millimetres in accuracy.
One of the first global mega-events to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 runs from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, inviting visitors from around the world to join the making of a new world and experience a six-month journey of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.
