The sprawling site of Expo 2020 Dubai offers several attractions for families of all ages. The whole thing is a spectacular show and its taster menu of different pavilions will expose children to the cuisines, crafts, and architecture of countries around the world.
The organisers have clearly catered for families as visitor centres around the park offer breastfeeding rooms – in welcome full-blast air-conditioning – and there are a number of ways to navigate the areas.
LIVE BLOG: Updates and live coverage from Expo 2020 Dubai
These include bikes with child seats attached (available to hire) and the Expo Express, the cheery cross between a train and a golf buggy that serves the main arteries. There are also playgrounds (Latifa’s Adventures and Rashid’s World), and the Around the World merry-go-round in Mobility, roughly opposite the Belgium Pavilion.
Below are some top-billed attractions but an expected joy of Expo 2020 is bouncing from country to country in the network of smaller pavilions, from Suriname to Guyana to Timor-Leste. These are often less crowded than the major sites, and while your children might know something about the national dishes of, say, Thailand, the tea in Ethiopia could be more of a surprise.
Finally, a word on timing. Expo comes alive at night, when it’s cooler and the attractions are lit up. The pavilions’ amazing architecture often incorporates lights, from the ticker-tape messages of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion and the LED memos of the United Kingdom’s to the kinetic block-swapping of the extraordinary Korean building.
Until the weather cools down during the day, it’s worth pushing bedtime to let the little ones experience it – grab dinner at one of the pavilions (Chinese? Estonian?) and take in the performances hosted on a regular basis by the pavilions.
Here are six not-to-miss attractions to visit at Expo 2020 Dubai:
Hammour House
This brick-lattice-worked site, near the gate to the Mobility section, will host daily art workshops for children throughout Expo 2020’s six months.
The programme highlights the continued destruction of the ocean’s coral reefs – which they will metaphorically work to redress, by painting 3D designs of the blanched reefs.
Their creations will then be dotted around the House’s small garden, circling a hammour fish made out of recycled “ghost fishing nets” – fishing nets that are left in the sea as debris.
Al Wasl Dome
The flair of this spectacular light show will no doubt be familiar thanks to the opening ceremony, which showed off how a 360º projection fills the dome after dark.
Even for a country that thinks it’s seen a spectacle or two, it’s pretty amazing. Dot-matrix-like printing of traditional woven patterns gives way to the dome as an opera house, with dancers leaping from archway to archway.
The Water Feature
Granted one’s appreciation of the Water Feature was probably aided by the heat and the humidity of the first few days of Expo – but this will be a boon for younger and older children alike, and their trailing, ailing parents.
Imagine an enormous bowl with water cascading down the sides to a soundtrack by Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi. The choreography, by the group WET, is mesmerising as well as interactive. Visitors can stand and run up the shallow sides of the bowl, paddling around and getting their feet wet – just be prepared for a queue on hot days.
Afra Al Dhaheri’s Pillow Fort
Expo 2020 commissioned an exemplary art programme for the event, all designed as public sculptures that people are welcome to touch and engage with.
Emirati artist Afra Al Dhaheri took inspiration from the pillow forts she and her siblings made when they were young, and created a marble sculpture that looks like a soft and billowing arch, with the carving that mimics the floral patterns and scalloped edgings familiar to Khaleeji childhoods.
Though adults might appreciate the trompe l’oeil effect and its nostalgic evocations of days gone by, children will have a way with those fancy terms and do what they’re meant to do: muck in and play.
Desert Farm
There’s a lot to learn just by encountering the different cultures at Expo 2020, but the Desert Farm is a dedicated learning centre where children can learn about the kinds of plants that grow naturally in the desert, and gaze at the fish endemic to the Arabian Sea.
The Desert Farm is near Latifa’s Adventure playground, a grassy expanse, and Al Dhaheri’s pillow fort (all in the purple-signposted areas, behind the falcon-like UAE Pavilion), making this area a good section to park in if the main Expo site is leaving everyone a little frazzled.
Pakistan Pavilion
It is hard to choose a favourite among the major pavilions: the Luxembourg Pavilion has a slide! The Netherlands harvests water out of thin air and Egypt brought a mummy! But for sustained room-on-room wonder, we like the Pakistan Pavilion, located in the Opportunity District, which is signposted in orange.
The architecture, of a multicoloured network of separate hillocks, makes it a cool building to enter and the country’s presentation combines spectacular videography of its extraordinary landscape: think pink Himalayan salt rocks and an intricately carved wooden boat. A very decent selection of Pakistani handicrafts such as block-printed napkins, and a popular restaurant on the ground floor make this a one-stop shop for family joys.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The biog
Name: Dr Lalia Al Helaly
Education: PhD in Sociology from Cairo
Favourite authors: Elif Shafaq and Nizar Qabbani.
Favourite music: classical Arabic music such as Um Khalthoum and Abdul Wahab,
She loves the beach and advises her clients to go for meditation.
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PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Romelu Lukaku's goalscoring statistics in the Premier League
Season/club/appearances (substitute)/goals
2011/12 Chelsea: 8(7) - 0
2012/13 West Brom (loan): 35(15) - 17
2013/14 Chelsea: 2(2) - 0
2013/14 Everton (loan): 31(2) - 15
2014/15 Everton: 36(4) - 10
2015/16 Everton: 37(1) - 18
2016/17 Everton: 37(1) - 25
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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How to avoid crypto fraud
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The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
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