The world-famous Red Arrows - the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - will take to the skies over Expo 2020. Representing the United Kingdom and celebrating the UAE's Golden Jubilee and the UK's participation in the first week of Expo, they will dazzle viewers with a show of exquisite precision and teamwork.

The Red Arrows at Expo 2020

Red Arrows

World-renown team The Red Arrows will represent the UK with a breathtaking aerobatic display in the skies over Expo 2020 Dubai.

Stunning nine-aircraft formation aerobatics performance by world-renown team, The Red Arrows.

A beautiful celebration of Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE's Golden Jubilee.

Formations include the "Swan" and "Big Vixen Roll", as well as a new 2021 manoeuvre, the "Boomerang".

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The Red Arrows

The Kamal is a simple celestial instrument, just a board and knotted string, that was used by Arab navigators from the 9th century. Sailors also used poetry as a mnemonic to record and pass on directions in the easily memorised ruttier form. In Australia and New Zealand, indigenous mapping of the sky remains alive through a new generation of astronomers. Bridging these systems of knowledge through literature and memory, we consider how the cultural imagination of the celestial has been constructed and understood, continuing to hold meaning as we imagine space futures.

Considering astronomy, past and present

Learn to Read the Stars

How the cultural imagination of the celestial has been constructed, continuing to hold meaning as we imagine space futures.

A newly commissioned poem that will be shared in a live poetry reading by Emirati poet, Nujoom Alghanem

Exciting presentations from leading practitioners in the field of both Astrophysics and Cultural Astromony from the UAE, Australia and New Zealand

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Capped by a digitally enhanced “cumulus cloud” that provides shade in the daytime and a canvas for dazzling light displays at night, the Australia Pavilion is a vibrant showcase for the kind of imagination Australians like to call “Blue Sky Dreaming”.

Inside and out, the focus here is on Australian innovation. From the ancient astronomy of the Aboriginal peoples, which you can learn about through an immersive projection show on the pavilion’s interior dome, to the sustainably produced timber that forms the pavilion’s hill-shaped exterior, there’s no shortage of blue-sky ideas here to explore.


Australia

With a crescent-shaped first level that resembles dusty hills and a cloud-like shade structure hanging overhead, the Australia Pavilion is designed to evoke a dramatic Outback landscape. 

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Outback landscape

A dramatic

Australia Pavilion

Inside Expo: The Next Great Frontier 

Space travel and exploration has captured imaginations for generations and the dream of space tourism is now closer to being a reality than ever. At the same time, with outer space remaining one of our few truly shared resources, peacefully managing this distant realm remains crucial. During this fascinating week, we highlight the latest innovations in space research and travel, while also providing a platform to discuss critical issues.

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How do we safely and productively explore new frontiers?

Insight Report from Space Week

Space Week

Space Theme Week Video

Kevin Jones is an arts consultant, writer, critic and educator. In 2019, he founded Juniper Mind, a consultancy that challenges artists, brands and institutions to think more critically. At Alserkal, he created a content strategy for the brand, which informs both the editorial direction for alserkal.online and seasonal programming. Consequently, he has become Commissioning Editor for alserkal. online, and provides curatorial guidance for Alserkal programming throughout the year. New York-born and Paris-bred, Kevin has lived in the Middle East for the past fourteen years, serving as UAE Desk Editor for the magazine ArtAsiaPacific, while contributing criticism both internationally (The Art Newspaper, Artforum, 
ArtReview and FlashArt International) and regionally. 


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Founder, Juniper Mind and Strategic Consultant, Alserkal

Kevin Jones 

Professor Rangi Matamua (Tūhoe) is a pioneering Māori scholar who has revolutionised understandings of Māori astronomy, and in particular Matariki. His research has been ground-breaking in terms of its contribution to mātauranga Māori; he has enlightened both national and international populations on the mātauranga of astronomy. He is renowned for his role communicating his research in an accessible and engaging way, and reaching both academic and non-academic audiences. Rangi is both the author of the bestselling book Matariki: The Star of the Year and presenter of the award winning te reo Māori web series Living by the Stars. He has challenged widespread misconceptions about Māori astronomy and has enhanced our understandings of a Māori world view of the stars. 

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Rangi Matamua

Dr. Mashhoor is a coordinator of the academic programs at Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST). He has more than 45 publications in scientific journals. He has a method for analyzing close visual binary stars (Al-Wardat’s Method), and has a good international collaboration and recently is working on the data of Gaia. His Scientific and research interests include spectrophotometry of stars, interferometry of binary and multiple stars, atmospheric modelling of single and binary solar type and carbon stars, light curves of eclipsing X-ray binary stars, astronomical site selection and testing, and history of Astronomy.

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Dr. Mashhoor Ahmad Salameh

Dr. Duane Hamacher is Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the ASTRO3-D Centre of Excellence and the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne in Australia. His research focuses on astronomy in a cultural, social, historical, and heritage context. Dr. Hamacher is a president and founder of the Australian Association of Astronomy in Culture, Secretary of the International Society of Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture, member of the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Star Names, an associate editor of the Journal of Astronomical History & Heritage, and a heritage expert for UNESCO.
Dr. Hamacher is passionate about communicating research with the public, as well as promoting First Nations students in this space. 

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Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy


Duane Hamacher

Nujoom Alghanem is an Emirati artist, poet, and multi award-winning film director. She was born in Dubai in 1962, has published eight poetry collections and produced around twenty films including short fiction, short documentaries, art films and seven feature length documentaries. Her films have won local, regional and international prizes. She is the founder of Nahar Productions, a film production company based in Dubai and a professional trainer and mentor in filmmaking, art and creative writing. In 1999, she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Media Production, from the School of Film, Griffith University in Australia. 
In 1996, she finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Video Production from Ohio University in the United States.

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Nujoom Alghanem

Cultures in Conversation I Never Be Lost: Learn To Read The Stars 

World Expos have always been meeting places for people across cultures and geographies; an opportunity to come together and celebrate human ingenuity and forge meaningful human connections. As the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and with the participation of more than 192 countries, Expo 2020 Dubai looks to take this legacy even further. The Build Bridges track of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Programme for People and Planet features a tapestry of event series and experiences that celebrate our common humanity and the vital connections that can help us prosper together as a worldwide community.

Knowing One Another Better

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Build Bridges 

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This Future Explorers episode takes you on a space journey at Expo 2020. We explore the Mobility Pavilion, taste delicious space snacks, and hear from astronauts about their experience among the stars. Photosensitivity warning: Some areas in Live@Expo broadcasts may feature bright flashing effects that may affect photosensitive viewers.

 Ep 9: Astronauts at Al Wasl, Bulgaria and Alif - The Mobility Pavilion

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We celebrate Space Week at Expo 2020 Dubai with a journey through the out-of-this-world Mobility Pavilion. Spoiler: we will meet astronauts!

Explore the out-of-this-world Mobility Pavilion.

Join us as we sample astronaut chocolate at the Bulgaria Pavilion.

Create a Twitch account to join the chat and earn points!

Interactive, chat-driven tour co-curated by you, the audience.

Earn badges, go on treasure hunts and top the leaderboard!

Alif Pavilion

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Alif 

In today’s hyperconnected world, mobility is more important than ever – so what better way to embody this than through a visionary structure that looks ready to take flight? With its space-age contours and awe-inspiring exhibits, Alif – The Mobility Pavilion offers visitors an immersive journey through the spectrum of human movement. 

But Mobility – one of Expo’s three main subthemes – is also about moving ideas. Take the lift to the pavilion’s top floor and undertake a voyage into the often-invisible ways that mobility unites us, from the campfire of a nomadic Bedouin all the way through the ultra-connected cities of humanity’s future.


Visitors ride the world’s largest passenger lift, which can transport more than 160 people at a time. The Bedouin girl in the middle of the lift is illuminated, reaching up towards the stars, symbolising the desire to reach new heights.

The world’s largest passenger lift 

Nine-metre-tall photo-realistic giants of mobility from the golden age of Arab civilisation, including 15th Century seafarer and navigator Ibn Majid, 11th Century historian and geographer Al-Bakri, and 14th Century explorer Ibn Battuta.

The giants of early exploration

Future cities merging imagination and design are dreamed up by children and projected an immersive space that explores the limitless possibilities that lay ahead for mankind

Immersive virtual installations   

Features

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Timelapse: Alif – The Mobility Pavilion

Videos

Mobility Pavilion 360

The heart-pounding motion of speeding ideas and vehicles alike take shape in Alif – The Mobility Pavilion: a ribbed, curvy, three-sided structure wrapped in highly reflective stainless steel metal cladding, inspired by chrome fenders and aircraft wings. Alif's mirror-like surface captures movement, making the building seem alive and in motion. 

Mobility Pavilion

ready to take flight

A visionary structure 

The Mobility Pavilion 

Alif

Watch the creation of Alif - The Mobility Pavilion as it rises out of the desert sands.

Timelapse

Timelapse of Alif

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Bulgaria Image Gallery

With lofty mountains in the west, the glistening Black Sea in the east and plenty of cosy mineral springs in between, Bulgaria boasts a wealth of stunning sights to explore. And as the Bulgaria Pavilion at Expo 2020 shows, the Balkan nation offers much more: from rich culture to high-tech innovation to winter sports. Exhibits include a (virtual) walk across the bed of the Black Sea, 3D projections of the nation’s beautiful landscapes, and traditional Bulgarian folk dances.


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Bulgaria Pavilion

Live@Expo Ep 9: Astronauts at Al Wasl, Bulgaria and Alif - The Mobility Pavilion

Welcome to an interactive live tour where you and a community of virtual visitors from around the world control where the guide goes and what you see! Earn points and top the leaderboard, win badges and reveal treasures. Your points convert to Seeds of Change which you can pledge to the cause of your choice.

Live@Expo

Join a new virtual tour of the Expo! You control where the guide goes as they explore Expo 2020.

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Gaze upward as Al Wasl Plaza's canvas transforms into a giant observatory then releases you on an epic adventure through the cosmic heavens above.

Cosmos

Architecture II: Al Wasl Plaza

EXHIBITOR Magazine's World Expo Awards

EXHIBITOR Magazine Announces World Expo Award Winners

Al Wasl Plaza

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Al Wasl Plaza Images

Expo 2020 Dubai, the first Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region in the 170 years of World Expo history, opened with a celebration of global togetherness and optimism. Spectacular storytelling, performances, fireworks, and immersive projections on the dome of Al Wasl, the heart of Expo 2020, all told a story of collaboration and hope for the future, echoing Expo 2020 Dubai's theme of "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". Global artists joining in the celebration included Andrea Bocelli, Ellie Goulding, Lang Lang and Mohammed Abdu.

Description 

The first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, Expo 2020 opened with a celebration of global connection and hope for the future.

Expo 2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony

Long ago, travellers referred to Dubai as Al Wasl, or “the connection” – a name that reflects the area’s heritage as a meeting point. This spirit of coming together takes shape in Al Wasl Plaza, Expo 2020’s spectacular centrepiece and gathering ground for celebration and wonder. 

Situated at the meeting point of Expo’s three thematic districts, Al Wasl Plaza's dome is tall enough to fit the Leaning Tower of Pisa beneath it. By night, she transforms into a 360-degree projection screen, blanketed by more than 250 state-of-the-art projectors. Al Wasl Plaza is a hub for visitors and the vibrant heart of our Expo.

Daily performances, national day ceremonies and more

Immersive 360-degree domed projection screen

Lush garden spaces for relaxation and connection

Al Wasl features

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Al Wasl Plaza 360

Al Wasl Plaza is 130 metres in diameter and more than 67 metres tall. Delicate-looking despite its titanic scale, her pattern is inspired by our Expo's logo, which is fully visible at the oculus.

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Extraordinary

The life force of the Expo 2020 site, Al Wasl Plaza proudly carries the old name of Dubai.

The beating heart of Expo 2020

A series of immersive 360° videos of Al Wasl's projection shows that put you centre stage for each stunning performance. 

The Red Arrows at Expo 2020

Highlights

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