The transformation of the Expo 2020 Dubai site from an arid landscape to a sustainable city spanning 613 football pitches is the subject of a new documentary.
Produced in partnership with the Discovery Channel, Expo 2020: Shaping the Future shines a spotlight on the people who were vital in bringing the world's fair to life. The documentary shows what it took to build an urban centre in the desert that is capable of generating its own electricity, and could serve as a platform for cutting-edge technology and architecture from around the world.
The documentary had its premiere as part of an exclusive screening at the site on Monday. Running for 40 minutes, it is showing on Virtual Expo World and will be screening on the Discovery Channel next week in parts.
Director Jacquie Beaumont says she wanted to highlight the vision and efforts that made Expo 2020 Dubai a reality, in spite of challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“How many people know how the Expo was built or the challenges that were presented, or the architects’ vision or why the Expo was commissioned in the first place?” Beaumont says. “I hope that this film gives you a unique perspective into some of those things that you can't get just from visiting the site.”
The documentary begins with a broad stroke of the 170-year history of world expos. The first global expo was held in London in 1851. It was meant as an outlet for developers, architects and engineers from around the world to share their ideas. The expo platform would prove in helping to diffuse new inventions and ideas across the world.
As the documentary highlights, some of the greatest innovations in history were launched during world expos, from the telephone and typewriter to the mobile phone, the television set and even tomato ketchup.
We had to create the city of the future without understanding what that future would look like
Reem Al Hashimy,
Minister of State for International Co-operation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai
The documentary then shows footage from the expo bid in Paris on November 27, 2013, when it became clear that Dubai had won and was going to be the first city in the Measa region to host the world's fair.
“It was probably one of the most exhilarating and humbling moments of my life,” Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, says in the documentary.
“It showed us just how much the international community believed in us. But it also highlighted how much responsibility we have to all of them as well.
“We had to create the city of the future without understanding what that future would look like. We looked at our master plan and we changed it and then we changed it. Navigating through so much ambiguity has been the greatest challenge, but also it’s given us the opportunity to reimagine and to dream.”
The documentary then expands on the historical significance of the Expo 2020 Dubai logo and its visual reference to the 4,000-year-old gold ring unearthed at Saruq Al Hadid archeological site in 2002. It also shows how the ring’s pattern influenced the design of Al Wasl Dome and details the challenges the construction crew faced as they tried to build its 130-metre-high steel trellis.
“We built the crown on the ground and then put the sides at the same time,” Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, says in the documentary.
The dome features thousands of pieces of structural steel and 197 elements added together. Precision was essential, especially as the dome was set a mere four metres from the next building.
“For something with this level of precision, we had a point five millimetre margin of error,” Al Khatib says. “I don’t think a piece of jewellery has that margin of error. This was never done before in terms of an architectural piece."
Beaumont first visited the Expo 2020 Dubai site in February 2020. Construction was midway, but enough of the project had materialised for Beaumont to grasp its scale and reach.
“I immediately thought, 'Wow, this is big',” she says. “It was a bit overwhelming.”
Beaumont knew early on she wanted to focus on the human perspective, to interview the architects, builders and organisers tasked with building the site before the looming 2020 deadline. The pavilions, the thematic petal districts and Al Wasl Dome had already taken shape when the pandemic struck and construction came to a screeching halt. At that point, Beaumont says, new angles to the story emerged.
“From the initial treatment that I submitted early on to make this film, the pandemic really changed the content,” she says. “There wasn’t really a focus on health and wellness in the original film.”
The documentary highlights the health measures and wellness programme that was put in place to ensure the safety of workers on site, including a scheme using wearable technology designed to collect essential physiological data. According to the documentary, “the voluntary scheme attracted more than 5,500 participants”.
As the pandemic postponed the Expo by a year, the documentary was also delayed. Filming began as stay-at-home measures eased and work on the Expo resumed. However, as travel restrictions were still in place, Beaumont couldn’t fly to Dubai for the first phase of the shoot, and had to direct from abroad instead.
“We were meant to come in August but couldn’t,” she says. “I managed to get some interviews by the team here under my direction from London. Once we got to September, travel was allowed. I came for the first time to film about two weeks before the opening.”
As a filmmaker coming from the outside in, Beaumont says she was almost like the audience herself, finding things out about the event for the first time while filming. The documentary, she says, hopes to impart that feeling of wonder and hint at the event’s “global ripples”.
“It’s not about Dubai, not just about the here and now,” she says. “This has actually affected people all over the world. And that's really inspiring, especially in the current times that we live in, to think that people's lives are being improved because of this is a real testament to what they've done here and a testament to Dubai.”
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
More from Aya Iskandarani
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
UAE%20ILT20
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Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Bawaal%20
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
