Expo 2020 Dubai is a global exhibition hosted in the United Arab Emirates. It was originally meant to open on October 20, 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. Expo 2020 Dubai finally opened its gates on October 1, 2021, and will continue running until March 30, 2022. The event includes more than 191 country pavilions, a hotel, and 200 dining outlets. It’s labeled as The World’s Greatest Show, primarily because it hosts 60 shows daily. Each day, Expo celebrates a “National Day” of a country. And on January 7, 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated its very own National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai. The Saudi Arabia Pavilion can be found in the Opportunity District.
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion is the second largest pavilion within Expo 2020, the first being the UAE Pavilion. In total, it takes up a 13,000 square meter area. This pavilion offers an open invitation to the world to come and explore the country through 4 core pillars: People, Heritage, Nature, and Opportunity. Visitors will get a clearer insight into Saudi and experience its renowned traditions by touring the pavilion. It’ll walk visitors through its hospitality, authentic culture, rich heritage, diversity, and promising opportunities. The structure itself received a LEED Platinum Certification, the highest internationally-recognized sustainability rating.
The pavilion is brought to life with the multi-faceted 30-meter diameter globe with an interactive floor that takes visitors on an audiovisual journey. It was designed in cooperation with Boris Micka Associates, and its state-of-the-art architecture combines digital technology most sustainably. It features 650 solar panels that are manufactured in Saudi Arabia. In fact, upon its opening, it won 3 Guinness World Records for the largest interactive light floor, longest interactive water curtain, and largest interactive digital screen mirror powered by 8,000 LED lights.
When visitors first witness The Saudi Arabia Pavilion, their attention is caught by the 68 square meters curved screen that showcases the diverse environment in Saudi, including Wadi Al-Bardani, Farasan Island, the Empty Quarter, the Red Sea, and the Tabuk Mountains.
Visitors then move from one place to another via an escalator to see the UNESCO-registered sites, which include Al-Turaif and Al-Hajar neighborhoods, the historic center of Jeddah, the rock arts in the Hail region, and the Al-Ahsa Oasis. In addition to other heritage sites such as Al-Masmak Castle in Riyadh, the pillars of Rajajil and Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in Al-Jawf And Al-Shanana Tower in Al-Qassim, Ibrahim Palace, Al-Qaysaria Market in Hofuf, Al-Ain Palace, the Emirate Palace in Najran, and Rijal Alma` in Asir. The pavilion hosts many cultural performances that highlight the ancient history of the Kingdom and present what the future of the Kingdom holds. It dives into what the country aims to achieve in the next few years, with plans that align with the 2030 plans.
Within the pavilion, visitors will find electric windows that display scenographic crystals that showcase what Saudi aspires to achieve by 2030. It also showcases four outstanding projects that the country is currently working on, namely Qiddiya, the Red Sea Development Company, NEOM, and Roshan. It also showcases other vital environmentally friendly development projects such as the King Salman Garden Project, the Green Saudi Arabia Project, and the Green Middle East Project, which are all set to be exemplary to the rest of the world. Also within the pavilion is an art exhibition called The Vision. The interactive exhibition takes visitors on a visual and audio journey around Saudi, particularly its culture and history, designed by local artists.
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion also includes the Exploration Center which is a platform for building investment opportunities and partnerships. It has a tech-savvy digital table in the form of a Saudi map and includes data on aspects of life in The Kingdom. The table is split into different categories: art and culture, economy and investment, energy, nature and tourism, and lastly homeland and transformation.
Hussain Hanbaza, Commissioner-General of The Kingdom’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, commented: “We want people to see what makes our country unique, and to see Saudi Arabia in an unprecedented way, where they can experience and explore a country undergoing rapid transformation”. He added: “We want to convey Our rich history, upon which we will build our future while encouraging visitors from all over the world to explore the natural wonders of Saudi Arabia.”
The pavilion seeks to inspire youth by illustrating its vast history, motivating Saudi’s to build a better future, and presenting the country’s vision of 2030.
