When the Expo 2017 site closed yesterday in Astana, the baton was firmly passed to Dubai, the host city for the next world's fair, Expo 2020.
As The National reported, Expo 2017 was Kazhakstan's opportunity to promote itself to the international community, albeit through what the Bureau International des Expositions refers to as a "specialised expo" rather than the more global affair that will open its doors in Dubai in three years time.
Two questions tend to get asked about any expo: the first about why, more than 160 years since the first event was staged in London, they still matter? The second is how any city, be it Shanghai, Milan or Dubai, can ensure the exhibition site does not become an unused facility after the event ends?
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Dubai has emphatically answered both questions. Expo matters because of the promise it provides to inspire visitors. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has talked previously about the profound impact the staging of the 1962 Expo in Seattle, his home town, had upon him when he was growing up. If the 2020 event can spur even a few young minds to greater enquiry and achievement it will have fulfilled its purpose.
At Cityscape Global this week, further details of the legacy element of Expo 2020 will be unveiled. From the outset, Dubai has been focused on putting on a great show and ensuring the long-term future of the site. The event will deliver infrastructure, such as transport links, that are visibly markers of legacy, but it is the softer indicators that are, arguably, more interesting.
Once the world’s fair moves on from Dubai, it will leave behind District 2020, an urban planning vision of sustainably built commercial and residential space. More than that, the exhibition is intended to stimulate SME growth. If Cityscape has always been an event where this country’s dream factory pumps out some of the more eye-catching building proposals around, District 2020 appears grounded in the commercial reality of creating a more prosperous future for the city and the country.
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Read more
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Milan points the way to Dubai’s Expo
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
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If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
