As the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world.

Expo 2020 Dubai provided visitors with a visually striking, emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions – created the largest and most diverse World Expo ever.

Through its theme, "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", and its three subthemes – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability – Expo 2020 Dubai served as the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas.

It featured dedicated themed weeks held during the Expo that explored collaborative solutions to global challenges including climate change, health and wellness, inequality and environmental degradation.

Built with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site is transforming into Expo City Dubai – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future.

Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme, "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", is based on the belief that bringing the world together can catalyse an exchange of new perspectives and inspire action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s three subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability inspired visitors to preserve and protect the planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone:

Opportunity: Unlocking the potential for individuals and communities to shape the future.

Mobility: Creating smarter and more productive movement of people, goods and ideas, both physically and virtually.

Sustainability: Respecting and living in balance with the world we inhabit to ensure a sustainable future for all.

The Expo 2020 Dubai site turns heads at every corner, with multiple world-class architectural feats, created by both Expo 2020 and its participants, and examples of cutting-edge technology and sustainable materials.

The site was designed to resemble three petals connected to Al Wasl Plaza, the iconic centrepiece named after the historic name for Dubai, meaning ‘connection’. The plaza features a massive domed trellis that also acts as an immersive 360-degree projection surface, the largest in the world, and connects to the falcon-inspired UAE Pavilion.

The petals are Expo 2020 Dubai’s three Thematic Districts – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability - each anchored by its own Thematic Pavilion. Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion shows visitors how they can play their part in the future of humanity, inspiring renewed optimism that everyone can make a difference and show how collaboration can lead to lasting, positive change; Alif – The Mobility Pavilion offers face-to-face encounters with history’s giants of exploration and a chance to discover the future of human progress; and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion tells the enchanting story of humankind’s relationship with nature and is designed to empower visitors to understand their impact on the environment and become agents of change.

For the first time in World Expo history, each participating country had its own pavilion, located according to their chosen subtheme rather than global geographical location.

The site also featured multiple stages, parks, public spaces and retail, including more than 200 F&B outlets. Outside the gated area, supporting amenities and facilities included the Expo 2020 Village for participant and staff accommodation, warehousing, logistics, transport nodes, hotels, retail and a public park.

Even before the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai, a number of initiatives were launched to promote the development of the theme of the Expo and to encourage broad participation in the event.

Expo Live

Expo Live is an innovation and partnership programme launched by Expo 2020 Dubai to fund, accelerate and promote creative solutions that improve lives while preserving the planet.

With an allocation of USD 100 million, Expo Live harnesses the convening power of a World Expo to demonstrate how innovations coming from all places and people can advance the pace of progress and inspire a more inclusive and prosperous future.

Expo Live projects, showcased in the dedicated 'The Good Place' pavilion, are supported by a combination of grants, challenge prizes and knowledge-sharing events focused on the universal drivers of progress: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Global Best Practice Programme

A feature of every Expo since 2010, a series of Best Practices from around the world were selected to be showcased at Expo 2020 Dubai. Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Expo 2020’s Global Best Practice Programme spotlights tangible solutions that can be replicated, adapted and scaled for greater global impact. A total of 30 Best Practices in six different categories were selected by an international jury, jointly chaired by the Secretary General of the BIE, to be showcased in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Opportunity Pavilion.

Expo School Programme

Organisers have been engaging youth through Expo School Programme since early in the Expo project. Offering fun, engaging initiatives and resources for schools in the UAE, the programme also included a dedicated visitor centre on the Expo site, offering hands-on experiences for young people to explore Expo 2020 Dubai and its theme.

World Majlis

The World Majlis series is a thematic dialogue programme aimed at facilitating global conversation and creating connections between people and ideas. Bringing together thought leaders from various government, professional, academics and cultural backgrounds, World Majlis is rooted in the Emirati and Arab tradition of majlis- a meeting space where people share informed opinions to help shape decision for communities.

The welcoming spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai is embodied by its mascot family. The magical ghaf tree, Salama, looks over two Emirati siblings, the inquisitive eight-year-old Latifa and her nine-year-old brother Rashid. They are guided by three robots – Opti, Alif and Terra – who represent Expo 2020’s three subthemes – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The adventures of the mascots are the focus of series of short films, all focused on the Expo’s subthemes.