Video: UAE blends heritage and innovation at Expo 2025 Osaka

Osaka, Japan – In a breathtaking celebration of sustainability, culture, and creativity, the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai emerges as a living testament to the harmony between heritage and innovation. Rising like an enchanted forest, the architectural marvel is constructed from over two million palm fronds across the Middle East and North Africa — transforming an ancient symbol of Emirati generosity and resilience into a futuristic design narrative.

Titled “Earth to Ether,” the pavilion features 90 towering wooden columns, each 16 meters in height. These elegant pillars form a visual forest that captures the spirit of traditional Emirati craftsmanship and sophisticated Japanese carpentry, setting a new standard for cross-cultural collaboration and sustainable design.

The pavilion’s very skin tells a story—its facades are adorned with recycled date pits, a bold expression of how authenticity and environmental responsibility can intersect. Approximately two tonnes of this renewable material are used in the entrances and decorative elements, reimagining the iconic palm tree as both inspiration and building block.

“This pavilion is about more than architecture,” said Shaikha Al Ketbi, Creative Director and Deputy Commissioner General of the Pavilion, in a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM). “It’s a vision of how natural resources, deeply rooted in our identity, can shape a forward-looking future.”

The pavilion’s very skin tells a story—its facades are adorned with recycled date pits, a bold expression of how authenticity and environmental responsibility can intersect. Approximately two tonnes of this renewable material are used in the entrances and decorative elements, reimagining the iconic palm tree as both inspiration and building block.

“This pavilion is about more than architecture,” said Shaikha Al Ketbi, Creative Director and Deputy Commissioner General of the Pavilion, in a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM). “It’s a vision of how natural resources, deeply rooted in our identity, can shape a forward-looking future.”