His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has announced the transformation of the Dubai Expo 2020 site into 'Expo City Dubai'.
In a series of Tweets, Sheikh Mohammed described it as a "city that will represent the ambitions of Dubai".
Expo City Dubai "will be home to a new museum, a world-class exhibition centre and the headquarters of cutting-edge and fast-growing companies and will continue to host the pavilions of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt and others.
"It will be a city that embodies the dreams of every city," he said, adding that it will be an environmentally-friendly city that caters to families and future generations".
It will officially open its doors on October 1.
During the announcement, Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the success of Expo 2020 Dubai, adding how it was "visited by more than 24 million people" and how it "left a mark in the 170-year history of World Expositions."
After the historical success of Expo 2020 Dubai,visited by more than 24 million visitors & left a mark in the 170-year history of World Expositions. Today we announce transformation of the exhibition site into Expo City Dubai, a new city that represents the ambitions of Dubai. pic.twitter.com/baB7iCdlVb
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 20, 2022
Three of Expo 2020 Dubai’s most visited attractions, the iconic Al Wasl Plaza, the Garden in the Sky observation tower and the Surreal water feature, will remain. While Alif, the Mobility Pavilion and Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion, will live on as interactive educational experiences.
Later this year, the Opportunity Pavilion will become the Expo 2020 Dubai Museum – a new addition highlighting the history and impact of World Expos and celebrating the success of the six-month event.
Other attractions set to stay include the world-class Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), the Woman’s Pavilion, which features female change-makers across the world, and the Vision Pavilion, honouring the vision of Sheikh Mohammed.
Among the country pavilions, Saudi Arabia will remain while reworked versions of Luxembourg, Australia, Pakistan, India, Morocco and Egypt will be announced in the coming months.
The city will also feature offices, leisure facilities, food and entertainment venues, sports facilities and a mall.
Speaking at the launch, Expo 2020 Chief Marketing, Communications and Sales Officer, Sholto Douglas-Home, said the area will differ from Expo 2020 Dubai as there'll be no charge to visit the area but tickets will be sold for individual attractions.