Dubai Expo - Part 1

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Dubai Expo 2020 opened in October.... 2021. So, a year later, we were finally able to enjoy what has been advertised since I returned to Dubai in 2018. My friend does a lot of work there and in the months leading up to it, she was extremely busy and had canceled a lot of our usual meet ups - cycling, drinks, hikes, etc. So, to make up for it, she got me a season pass! Yay! I told her I would get her a spa day for when she finally had the time... Anyway, my friend and I made a few trips early on after the opening before he took his sabbatical to Central America and took delight in "judging" the pavilions. I think we went twice together and I went twice on my own. So, this blog focus on my first four adventures to the Expo, and let me say... they did do a great job!

Our first time there, I drove and parked at the Sustainability section. We got there right when it opened and it was so empty (not the case now). They have bus stops to take you to the plaza entrances, but we decided to walk - you know, Sustainability. It was less than 10 minutes to walk, but it was October and we were soon sweating. Our first impression, once getting through the security, was wow. Yeah, we were impressed, or at least, I was. Our first stop was the Slovenia pavilion, then we just circled around and briefly saw the Sustainability pavilion, which was not ready at the time (I think - it was not open and there was nothing to see, anyway).

The big flashy pavilions are located on the outside of the main roads, basically about five loops within the footprint of the Expo. You also get a passport, where you can get individual country stamps for each place you visit (as well as the themed pavilions). Most countries have them now, but when we went in October, several were still waiting on their stamps.

Below is a list of the pavilions, including the main themed pavilions. My rankings will come later, because, yes, of course I have a spreadsheet! :D

Themed Pavilion

Sustainability

"Terra" - this was our first one to see and it was quite pretty, with giant 'energy trees' and the main pavilion with a huge canopy, and I guess solar panels everywhere. The exterior had a nice little garden area that was peaceful and pretty. I think it is open now, but it was not at the time we visited, so I will need to go back.

Opportunity

"Mission Possible" - I went to this one on my own on my second trip and I was actually pretty impressed. There was no real line at the time (around sunset) and when you go into the center, there are three lines to give you a little insight to the various 'opportunities': "The Sun Mama", "The Urban Farmer" and "The Fog Catcher". I went to the Fog Catcher as I had heard about this years ago and was interested to see it finally making its way (maybe??) mainstream. In the hills and mountains of Peru, to help supply fresh water, they utilize what they call "fog catchers" using material and placing to capture the water droplets and funnel it down to replenish the water supply. It was just as I remember, though more visual. After a few minutes learning about this, you are then directed to a main room where the three groups come together but still with the three topics in a circular display. Then you move onto another large room with many of the worldwide opportunities in a wheel in the middle while there is a presentation. However, my favorite part were the many examples of people making "opportunities" around the world summarized on the surrounding wall. Finally, you go into a large room where you make a 'pledge' to help make the world a better place (mine was to start growing more food plants on my balcony).

Mobility

"Alif" - This was my favorite and my friend's too - he had already gone on his own but still joined when we went back together for my third trip (and I would return too). It was incredible. You start by entering a huge elevator, the largest in the world, which can carry 160 people at a time. When you emerge, you are along a ramp slowly spiraling down, where you see a replica of a typical arabic city as well as three large statues of known travels, including Ibn Battuta. But the best part, and absolutely my favorite part of the pavilion (and amongst the best in the whole Expo) is a wall stone sculpted fresco, which depicts the evolution of travel ("Mobility") since the dawn of human kind, all along the entire ramp in the main room. From walking, to horses, to trains, cars, planes, and space travel... It was so impressive.

Then you come into another huge room with a display of the planet earth in the center, while you again descend along a circular ramp. This area displays more of connections via information, connecting everyone across the globe. At the bottom, you get to take a picture in a space suit, your face superimposed into the helmet. The next room displays a lot of the next step, which is the missions to Mars, including the UAE's first rocket that was sent and successfully arrived at the Red planet. Finally, the last room shows possible visions of a futuristic city.

Country Pavilions

Slovenia

Very peaceful, lovely entrance. First room has a display of the country of Slovenia with various buttons you can push to tell you about a specific feature - I picked the 'dragons' as I had seen them when I visited Postojna caves before. Upstairs is a room with a projected display focusing on the importance of bees. (Sustainability)

Lithuania

A nice building very very tasteful decor. The interior had multiple displays, much of which focused on sustainable goals. There was also a little cafe inside, which we did not try. (Sustainability)

Sweden

I was a bit confused about this one.. It was absolutely beautiful, with large tree trunks creating a 'forest' on the outside of the building. A non-native representative explained to us about some of the uses of trees, such as by products, life span, and various uses of all parts. It was fairly informative. However, we were told these were 100-year-old trees that were cut down and shipped to Dubai specifically for this expo, so.... I was unsure how that was "Sustainable". Poor trees. (Sustainability)

Azerbaijan

Gorgeous building - one of my favorites actually. Did not seem to have much to do with Sustainability, but it was just stunning. A little blue river leading you through the main floor. Some led 'flowers' lining the wall. A little amphitheater below where I assume they perform some live shows. Even the details such as stenciled paintings on the windows were just well thought out. It was lovely. (Sustainability)

Maldives

Very basic, interior small pavilion. Mostly some placards displayed with info and a few examples of typical products, such as small boats. (Sustainability)

Madagascar

Small interior pavilion that was very tastefully decorated. Lots of placards lining the walls, and divisions, giving you an idea of what Madagascar has to offer. I know there is a lot in Madagascar, such as endemic animal and plant species you won't find anywhere else in the world, or their unique geology such as Tsingy National Park. It just seemed to be a very basic approach for a very exciting country. (Sustainability)

Cuba

Interior pavilion, well decorated, lots of vibrant colors and a good vibe. But... we were unsure what to do. No interaction with any representatives and not too much information displayed. (Sustainability)

Georgia

A bit disappointing for another exciting country. Only thing seemed to be placards to read. (Sustainability)

Burkina Faso

A small pavilion with lots of placards, but also a lot of local items displayed, such as art and musical instruments. Additionally, the country representative was super friendly! (Sustainability)

Seychelles

This one was nice and obviously had a lot of hard work put into it. One of the few in Sustainability that seemed to actually focus on the topic. Typical features of the island country were shown, such as tortoises, beaches, and the iconic palm tree. (Sustainability)

Montenegro

Having recently visited this fascinating country (one of my favorites) we (me?) were perhaps a bit biased on the initial rating. However, the country representatives were all very friendly, so that has not changed. We walked down a darkened hallway where they show displays of the country, the regions, and what types of environments they have. So most of it is focused on tourism, and I'm not complaining!

Korean Republic

Haha - this one was super fun and exactly what you would expect from the lively Koreans! We were first told to wait at the entrance for the next group tour, while there we could watch a 'show' being performed on the ground floor where people were seated. I don't know exactly what was going on, but large rolling boxes with people in them seemed to be theme to some crazy music. We went in and got a guide that required you to take a selfie and put your name in. Then you take the escalators upstairs and walk through a hall where they have those flapping panels on the wall, forming neat patterns - too quick to take a photo! Then you go outside (boy, was it hot!) and walk the ramp among the various boxes which are perfectly symmetrical for the building facade. You can over see much of the expo grounds from here too. Then you pretty much finish up and can stop for food at a Korean restaurant inside. Very cool (Jubilee).

Benin

A very necessary map showing where small Benin is in Africa greets you when you walk in. Not too much to talk about here, but there were some various works of art shown around the room. (Sustainability)

St Vincent and the Grenadines

I was the only one who was in this small pavilion initially and the country representative, Omar, came up and walked me around the pavilion. He showed me their plans for a new airport and the main bird they are proud of. With all the pictures and variety of outdoor activities, this quickly made it high on my bucket list.

Mali

This is so far my favorite of the small, interior pavilions. I came in through the back, where I first saw this incredible material display, obviously handmade piece of art. The woman representative advised that I start from the beginning, again, me being the only person there. At the entrance, there is a huge jug pouring "gold" and you walk along the river of gold, which takes you through so many different areas of the country, who they are, what they are known for, the resources, the products. It was very, very well done. The woman was also super nice and said "since it is so hard to get to Mali, we brought Mali to you." I thought that was lovely. (Opportunity)

Monaco

Very pretty pavilion with an enticing entrance. I'm not sure what penguins have to do with Monaco... It was mostly centered on how they give their bountiful money for good causes. (Opportunity)

Timor Leste

A pleasant little pavilion and very friendly representatives. There were lots of items on display and the lady was perfectly happy to walk around with me and describe what I was seeing. My two favorite things were that she gave me a vanilla stick (my dad loves free stuff like this) and the wall of local weavings by women of the various tribes. (Opportunity)

Ghana

This one definitely showed the hard work put into it! It was very colorful and happy. They gave you an idea of the types of culture they have, but mostly focused on their resources and productivity. It was pretty interesting, even giving you a little quiz at the end, so pay attention! (Opportunity)

Honduras

This was one of the better decorated small pavilions and made me actually want to go to Honduras, where you typically only ever hear about the violence there. But they have a lot of adventure tourism, primarily diving. Lots of rainforests, white water rafting, snorkeling. There was also some information about their economy such as the products and resources (Opportunity)

Guinea-Bissau

Very pretty and well decorated, but not a lot of information there. No real interaction with the representatives, I don't think they were native anyway. (Opportunity)

Armenia

I'm not entirely sure if this one was finished. There was definitely construction going on at the time. I was not quite sure what I was looking at, so not much to say on this one. (Opportunity)

Malta

This one I was divided on. It was well lit and busy, they were quite friendly, but it did not fit with my vision of Malta. Lots of random things. It was nice, just not memorable. (Opportunity)

Cyprus

Very disappointed on this one. I have been wanting to visit Cyprus for a while. The pavilion, however, was a bit of a disappointment. There were no country representatives and the pavilion was just a bunch of placards with information displayed. The Emiratis working at the pavilion were very friendly, however, and gave me my stamp and some honey. (Opportunity)

Zambia

Another somewhat disappointing one. Lots of information displayed and no one really to give you any guidance. For such a lovely country, it was not too interesting. (Opportunity)

Austria

This one had a really cool interior and exterior - very well made. However, there was not much information that I saw. I may try again because I may have missed something. After, I went next door to China for some dinner. (Opportunity)

Sri Lanka

This was super nice - I came in and they offered me a cup a tea of my choice. You then can sit and take in your surroundings. Then once I was done, I walked around and saw some information displayed as well as many sculptures and pictures. So pleasant. (Opportunity)

Fiji

Very pretty and colorful with some basic information. Friendly country representatives. (Opportunity)

Belize

Vibrant colors with some pretty art displayed on one side, primarily focusing on the native dress, particularly women's dress, and dancing. On the other side, were lots of placards but these seemed to have some order to it and it really made me want to travel there as it seemed like there was more to do in this small country than one would think! (Opportunity)

Australia

This one was pretty cool actually! There was a very nice entrance and one of those giant rooms with 3D projects of Australian scenery. However, my favorite part was an observatory type room, where everyone sits on benches around a circle and you look to the ceiling. Here you see the "stars" while an aboriginal girl tells one of their traditional stories, based on the sky and environment. It was beautiful actually. (Mobility)

Russia

The outside is very beautiful, day or night, though it seems to be made of colored pvc pipes. Once you arrive, you walk through a huge, empty ground floor hall and up the escalator to a very intricately decorated circular space. A giant brain is seen in the middle, colorfully lit, and is part of a show every so often. The outer walls have various displays of different types of connectivity and even reference to the next expo. (Mobility)

Mexico

This one I had high hopes for based on the outside display, which was lovely, especially at night. Going inside, there are a couple of different rooms to step into, including one with walls, floor and ceiling of glass and projected images, which was incredibly cool and beautiful. Another room had a roof display similar to Australia but with no real theme. So, while visually it was impressive, I got nothing at all about Mexico. (Mobility)

Panama

Set in with Uruguay and Argentina, this was a small pavilion and had a few things displayed. I was looking forward to it as Panama is still one of my favorite trips, but there was little to do here. However, the country representative was very nice and you get VR goggles to view Panama City. (Jubilee)

Uruguay

Another smaller pavilion, this one was a bit more thought out and you could "shoot" a soccer ball via a projected screen. (Jubilee)

Argentina

This one.... Maybe it wasn't finished when I came. No country representatives and nothing to see really. A room with projected visuals which has been done in half the pavilions. (Jubilee)

Czech Republic

Very pretty exterior and interior. A few different types of themes going on. One room focused on hydroponics, which was interesting. The exterior had some tree trunks I think were special, but I can't remember why. (Sustainability)

New Zealand

This one was pretty nice, though basic. You walk downstairs through some water themes and there are more projected displays with Maori. Of course, there is another large room with a 360 degree projected display, and a super cool vision of a whale swimming around you. (Sustainability)

Romania

This one is beautiful from the outside. Inside, it was large and peaceful, with some large pictures of the beautiful country side. It was very basic and while it was (sadly for me :p ) not focused on tourism, it was happily focused on fresh water. They had some samples of water that they typically produce for you to try - very refreshing. And it was actually a pretty good idea to put forth one of the things that Romania provides that few think about. (Sustainability).

Andorra

I loved this one! Mostly because of the incredibly helpful country representatives. There is a map display in the center of the room showing all of Andorra and the representative told me all the exciting hiking paths and mountains there are. Then there is a 3D projection with headphones that takes you through some of the interesting parts of this gorgeous country. (Sustainability)

Bahamas

Another good small pavilion. While there are lots of placards, they are smartly placed throughout the room. I think my favorite part though was when they combined the well known "conch" with conservation to form: conchervation, which discussed taking care of the beaches, coral, and associated ecosystems. (Sustainability)

Republic of Congo

Another basic pavilion with some displays of placards and local tools and such in the front half of the room (which is white in color). In the back half, there are some of the most magnificent photos I have ever seen in person lined on the green painted walls. Most of these are photos of children just living their lives. It is hard to put in words or to justify with a photo of a photo, but I took my time looking at each one. Then, a country representative came out and started playing the drum while I was gazing at the photos, me being the only one there. It was a wonderful experience (Opportunity)

Guatemala

This pavilion also had a lot of placards, but it was very colorful, particularly with so many displays of their famous textiles. There were clothes, chairs, tapestries, art displays - it was beautiful (so of course I had to get some when I went for my recent visit!). (Opportunity)

Sierra Leone

This pavilion is almost completely placards, however, they were very well organized, broken down into relevant information, and all were interesting. I particularly liked the panels talking about the improvements to children's education and one that discussed the slaves' Amistad Revolt in 1839. Throughout the room, the decor included the light blue, white and green colors as well as some displays of local art. The representative was very nice as well. (Opportunity)

Bhutan

I expected a bit more because this country is high on my bucket list. The displays were nice, it was just very basic. However, I absolutely loved the four panels of art displayed which told traditional stories, such as the "Four Harmonious Friends" with the bird, rabbit and monkey standing on each other's shoulders on top of an elephant. It tells how each of them is ultimately dependent on each other to survive a la a circle of life theme. (Opportunity)

South Africa

One of the larger interior pavilions and about what you would expect when you think of South Africa, no more no less. Some traditional tools and products such as clothes, a big room devoted to Nelson Mandela, a model of a radio station (I'm not sure what that was about or if it works), but no real country representatives interacting, which is surprising considering how many of their countrymen are here. It was pretty, but I felt no need to stay long. (Opportunity)

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Well done!
I have friends who have been and others planning to go. I appreciate reading your impressions.

[lexispence10]

Come soon!
It runs through end of March, so six more weeks ;)