The future of the Expo 2020 site after the international event closes in April 2021 will be revealed next week, with a “reputational, social, physical and economic” legacy plan.
The development proposals will be unveiled during the annual Middle East real estate exhibition, Cityscape Global, which takes place 11-13 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
It will be the first time the vision for the project has been made public, and visitors to Cityscape Global are invited to visit the Expo stand and find out more about how they can be involved.
“The question that everybody asks about Expo is what happens after Expo 2020’s doors close in April 2021,” said Marjan Faraidooni, Expo 2020 Dubai’s senior vice president of legacy impact and development. “At CityScape Global 2017 you will find out.”
Faraidooni said that there were two main ambitions once the city had secured the right to stage the Expo: “deliver an Expo that will amaze the world while leaving a meaningful and impactful legacy.”
“There are four strands to the legacy: reputational, social, physical and economic – and next week, you’ll see how we’ve integrated all of these into the long-term future of the Expo site in Dubai South,” she said.
Government officials have previously pledged
legacy plans will reuse more than 80 per cent of the site once the event is complete.
“We have learned a great deal from the highs and lows of previous World Expos, from the very beginning in London in 1851 to those of recent decades. It was very clear that what happens after an Expo is as important as what happens during the six months’ duration itself.”
The Expo itself will feature three themed districts named Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability and the design will be inspired by traditional regional architecture.
