Pavilions that housed exhibitions of dozens of countries during Expo 2020 Dubai are being redeveloped into high-end apartments in the heart of Expo City Dubai.
Work has begun to repurpose low-rise buildings into about 500 luxury apartments and duplex lofts, with the first units to be handed over at the end of next year.
The high-ceiling Al Waha homes cost in excess of Dh1.7 million with large windows that will look over Expo landmarks such as the widget-shaped Alif or Mobility pavilion, the Surreal water feature and planned green courtyards.
The January launch is part of Expo City Dubai’s master plan for a pedestrian-friendly community, where people can park their cars at home or in the office and walk, cycle, use electric scooters and buggies across the development.
“We are extremely excited about the launch of this Expo City signature collection, the Al Waha residences, that are a unique offering of luxury two-bedroom lofts and one and two-bedroom luxury apartments located at the heart of Expo City,” Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer at Expo City Dubai, told The National.
“This will be just a few steps away from all the attractions and landmarks of Expo City in a one-of-a-kind urban neighbourhood where a traditional Arab city meets modern living. This is our first low-rise residential experience. What makes it unique is the design of the existing shaded structures outside, the lush green landscape and water features. It will be a truly special place, a smart city at the heart of Expo City.”
Price range
Expo has promised spacious and sunny apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows, luxury fittings and fixtures at affordable prices. One-bedroom apartments are priced from Dh1.7 million, two-bedroom units from Dh2.9 million and the two-bedroom lofts start at Dh3.9 million, all with gym and pool access.
Investors have an option to purchase an entire two-storey building of 10 to 12 homes.
“We want everybody to be able to afford living in Expo City,” Mr Al Khatib said. “We do that with top designs in terms of sustainability, technology and living experiences as well payment plans that make it very affordable.”
Prospective homeowners will pay 50 per cent during the two-year construction period in five instalments and the remaining 50 per cent when the project is completed.
The newly launched Al Waha apartments will be inside low-rise buildings that were home to the exhibits of hundreds of countries and organisations during Expo 2020.
Larger country pavilions such as the winged UAE pavilion, the Saudi, Morocco, India and China pavilions remain on site and Expo is working with the nations to redevelop the structures.
Blueprint for Dubai’s growth
The UAE’s first 15-minute city where attractions, parks, offices, and public transport facilities are within walking or cycling distance is being closely watched as a blueprint for other developments.
“We work closely with so many verticals in terms of developing the full city. So, we are very careful on how we create the offering as we want to stay human-centric,” Mr Al Khatib said. “The entire community is pedestrianised with walkability across the entire city. We have ensured you can cycle from one end to the other with dedicated cycle lanes, you can walk or use your scooter from one point to another point without any disruptions.”
The city is being built as a legacy project across a 3.5sq km area that drew millions of visitors to the UAE to the enormously successful World’s Fair in 2021, when travellers got back on planes following the coronavirus pandemic.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, approved a master plan last year that highlighted Expo City Dubai as a catalyst for the emirate’s growth.
Sheikh Mohammed said the district would be a “hub for pioneers, entrepreneurs and investors” and was central to “propel the UAE into a new era of prosperity”.
Strong transport infrastructure is already in place with a metro, six-lane road networks, bus links, proximity to the Al Maktoum International airport and Jebel Ali port.
The city aims to welcome more than 35,000 residents and 40,000 professionals, with DP World announcing the site for its global headquarters, German engineering giant Siemens moving offices here and work under way to build the Dubai Exhibition Centre, the region’s biggest indoor exhibition and conference area.
The timeline
The first residential towers Mangrove Residences are on track to be handed over in the first quarter of 2026, followed by other residential apartment and villa projects linked with hiking trails and cycle paths. Expo City will continue to remain open with exhibitions and events planned during the year despite the continuing construction.
“We are a very unique development because the infrastructure is ready and in place. During the construction we will remain open, making sure activities continue at Expo City,” Mr Al Khatib said.
“This year we have more plans to come. Our plans are studied carefully with market requirements and, more importantly, what Expo City needs in terms of adding residential components to the commercial offering. The year 2026 is actually a very important year. We are excited about the new exhibition centre with construction by Dubai World Trade Centre and its completion in 2026. It's also the year to deliver our residential projects under construction to our tenants and owners.”
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Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Race%20card
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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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
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
