In the vast Expo 2020 Dubai site, its skyline dominated by towering glass and steel structures, lies a message of sustainability.
When organisers were planning Terra – the Sustainability Pavilion, the brief was to build a large structure, open to the public, that generated its own electricity and cooling in the middle of the desert.
The result is a sustainable building that will become a science centre after Expo 2020 ends.
As scores of pavilions in Dubai South take shape before the event opens in October, the theme of sustainability has been carried through to many of the country’s structures.
Here The National takes a look at five of the greenest pavilions visitors will see.
Singapore
Singapore’s pavilion will be one of the greenest at Dubai Expo 2020.
Featuring hanging gardens, exotic flowers and lush rainforest plants, its energy use will be net zero.
The building’s roof will be covered in 500 solar panels, which will meet its energy demands.
There will be no air conditioning, with plants and dry mist fans used instead to keep the pavilion cool.
A pond filled with plants will suck pollutants from the air, while solar power will be used to desalinate groundwater for irrigation and to create mist.
Even the food waste will be turned into a clean odourless wastewater that can be recycled.
Trees planted along the border are designed to cut off direct sunlight and offer protection from desert winds, while sun pipes will capture light from the roof and funnel it to more shaded spots.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s pavilion will offset emissions produced in construction and operations, helping to make it carbon neutral.
Constructed mainly using meranti wood, from a tree native to south-east Asia, the building will showcase the country’s sustainable forestry policies.
A rainforest canopy, featuring trees, flora, fauna and a meandering river, will be the exhibit’s centrepiece.
Its sunken basement gardens and “floating” exhibition halls suspended on timber stilts and steel beams will tell the story of the urgent need to protect ancient trees.
About 40 solar panels on the roof of Malaysia’s pavilion will meet 10 per cent of the building’s energy requirements, while recycled water will be used to cool it.
Belgium
Belgium’s pavilion is a zero-waste building featuring various environmentally friendly design features.
A hanging garden with 10,000 plants will convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, storing 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the course of the six-month event.
The plants will also help reduce the temperature by 3-5ºC.
The building, which will feature a giant “green” arch made from natural materials, will maximise the use of water, daylight and renewable energy.
Netherlands
The power of nature will be showcased at the dazzling Dutch pavilion, which will house a vertical farm.
A giant cone blanketed with edible plants, cress and mushrooms will feature a solar-powered rain shower that captures moisture from the air.
The water in the “rainmaker” will be cooled with solar energy, to feed the plants and help cool the pavilion.
It will harvest hundreds of litres of water daily, which will be used to irrigate the plants.
The lounge’s floor and wall panels will be made by mycelium, a biodegradable fungi-based substance, to show how mushrooms can be used as a building material.
Spain
Spain’s eco-friendly pavilion is designed to showcase the country’s approach to sustainability.
There will be no air conditioning inside the building.
Instead, its 14 cones function as natural cooling towers, lowering the temperature inside by expelling hot air.
The pavilion will also feature a “forest of the future”, an artificial ecosystem built from organic and recycled materials designed to showcase other sustainable solutions.
It includes a feature that will react to the movement of visitors and adjust its colour after assessing visitors’ energy consumption habits.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
