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A glimpse into the future

From a popular K-Pop band representing South Korea and record-breaking Saudi Arabian pavilion to the nature-inspired ‘Forest’ of Sweden and the Smart Cities of India, the world stands together in Expo 2020 Dubai with hopes for a better future

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Expo 2020 and a host of its participating countries will be showcasing a range of developments that will change the way we live in the future. Expo’s specially curated ‘Cities of the Future’ journey will take visitors on a tour to some of these pavilions to illustrate how thinkers, innovators and planners are using advanced materials, smart technology and big data to make citizens safer, healthier, happier and more productive.

By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion, with 6.7 billion projected to live in urban areas. As such, the cities of tomorrow will not be accidental. Every block, building and brick represents countless choices with visions articulated on different scales, from surrounding ecosystems, to architecture, infrastructure and interior spaces. From buildings that incorporate natural elements to spaces that can quickly transform to meet changing housing or business needs, these five pavilions demonstrate how we can thrive in the face of challenges and change.

The Belgium Pavilion hones in on smart mobility and examines how AI can be used to help solve the pressing issues of our time. Reflecting the country’s trademark “Belgitude” – an expression of the Belgian soul and identity – the pavilion demonstrates how it is charting a course for its future with its industrial, technological and scientific prowess.

Located in the Sustainability District, the innovative, interactive and collaborative Sweden Pavilion, known as ‘The Forest’, brings to life a growing and perfectly balanced eco-system. Under the theme ‘Co-Creation for innovation’, the pavilion reveals an array of best-practice examples around smart cities, next-generation transport and the bio-circular economy.

Reflecting ‘new India’, the India Pavilion highlights how the country is turning more than 100 cities “smart”, more sustainable and more citizen-friendly through its Smart Cities Mission while defining the country’s potential to become a global power through its ‘Five Ts’ – Talent, Trade, Tradition, Tourism and Technology.

Visitors can put the cities of today (and tomorrow) to the test at the Future City Lab at the Germany Pavilion, while exploring interactive exhibits to discover how cities will function in decades to come. A key feature of the pavilion will be a ropeless lift that can travel horizontally and vertically. Instead of using ropes, the multi cabins are powered by magnetic technology. Known as maglev, this magnetic technology, which forgoes the use of ropes, is similar to that used in high-speed trains in Japan and Germany.

Experience 5G, AI and smart travel at the lantern-shaped China Pavilion, which re-imagines the way we will live and work with ground-breaking innovations. Under the theme ‘Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind – Innovation & Opportunity’, the pavilion will exhibit future-shaping technologies including the world’s largest radio satellite, able to detect interstellar signals from alien life; autonomous vehicles; and a geo-location system capable of tracking up to a few millimetres in accuracy.

In other Expo news, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has announced that it has appointed ‘Stray Kids’, the famous K-pop band, as the Ambassador of the Korea Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Stray Kids is one of the most popular K-pop bands, with 34 million social networking followers globally. The band recently won the boy band competition TV series in Korea ‘Kingdom-Legendary War’ (2021). The Korea Pavilion will be located in the Mobility District of Expo 2020 Dubai with theme “Smart Korea, Moving The World To You”.

At the Saudi Pavilion – the second largest after the UAE’s – visitors will experience three Guinness World Records: the largest interactive lighting floor with around 8,000 LED lights, the longest interactive water feature at more than 32 metres, and the largest LED interactive digital mirror screen at 1302.5 square metres.

Visitors to the Saudi Pavilion will experience 14 cultural landmarks along a stunning escalator ride. These include acclaimed Unesco World Heritage Sites such as At-Turaif District in Ad-Diriyah, Hegra Archaeological Site in AlUla, Historic Jeddah, Rock Art in the Hail Region, and Al-Ahsa Oasis.

Through an audiovisual guide, guests can explore 23 other destinations, including world-leading giga-projects which are rewriting the possibilities of sustainable development such as Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and King Salman Park.

In Expo 2020 Dubai, Morocco will be on display through its ancestral, national, and cultural heritage, as well as its skills and singular talents, all promising hope for a better future. The pavilion represents the opportunity to meet Moroccans and appreciate their values, and will offer to millions of expected visitors the chance to marvel at the youth and dynamism of this country, as well as its capacity to build, to innovate, to meet challenges and to invest in sustainable logics of development and peace.   

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