Resilient Dubai 1

Focuses on reimagining the future of cities to become more inclusive, resilient and 
dynamic.

Joy Chadika (L) and Nadimeh Mehra, Vice President, District 2020 Transition Unit (R) speaks at the World Cities Day event m7594

Nadimeh Mehra, Vice President, District 2020 Transition Unit speaks at the World Cities Day event m7591

Urbanist Ahmed Bin Shabib speaks at the World Cities Day event m7590

Image Gallery

World Cities Day at Expo 2020 Dubai will focus on reimagining the future of cities to become more inclusive, resilient and dynamic. With a focus on climate solutions, the Day will be brought to life through a series of discussions, dialogues, and showcases of best practices to explore how to collectively adopt a green recovery for more sustainable, smart, resilient and livable urban environments.

A Place for Everyone

World Cities Day

Access to safe and affordable living conditions is a fundamental right. More than 70 per cent of the world’s population is forecasted to live in cities by 2050 and over one billion are already living in informal communities. As the demand for both cities and communities escalate, Expo will bring together experts, citizens, and governments to re-think the way in which habitats are designed and managed. From innovative transport, sustainable housing and green public spaces to renewable energy and circular economies, living spaces of the future will be imagined as resilient, sustainable and inclusive.  

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 How do we live and grow in harmony with our planet?

Learnings and insights from the World Majlis conversations on Urban and Rural Development

Insight Report from Urban and Rural Development Week

Learnings and insights from the World Majlis conversations on Urban and Rural Development


Insight Report from Urban & Rural Development Week

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Creating a blueprint for future smart cities

Siemens Website

Siemens is a global technology powerhouse that unites the digital and 
physical worlds to benefit society through its focus on smart infrastructure, digital industries, and intelligent mobility solutions. As Expo 2020 Dubai’s Premier Partner for Infrastructure Digitalisation, Siemens is reshaping the future of urban living by creating a blueprint for the smart cities of the future. By integrating its technology, the company is helping to create history’s most digitalised, sustainable and secure Expo. Siemens is also an anchor tenant at District 2020, the future city that will live on as a legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Creating a blueprint for smarter cities

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Siemens 

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UN Habitat

AKDN Logo

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

Urban & Rural Development Week

Based in Dubai, Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib are urbanists and researchers of cities across the Middle East and North Africa. They are the founders of Brownbook, a magazine that focuses on cities across the region. They have also curated several exhibitions and collaborations including the Domaine De Boisbuchet: (2022), National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2021), AA Gallery (2018) Vitra Design Museum (2017), Serpentine Gallery (2016), Archizoom EPFL (2015), Lars Müller Publishing (2019). They both hold degrees in Urbanism from the University of Oxford, Recipients of the 2021 Golden Lion (Architecture) for National Pavilion, UAE, and have been nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2010, 2019).

Bin Shabibs

Ahmed & Rashid Bin Shabib

Nadimeh Mehra joined Expo 2020 Dubai in early 2016 and is responsible for the commercial development of the post-Expo site – District 2020 - supporting its transition into a mixed-use community and innovation-focused ecosystem. In this role, she oversees Business Development, Sales and Partnership Management. This includes driving commercial strategy, business and financial planning, ecosystem development and global business engagement, with the aim of supporting the creation of a sustainable legacy and long-term economic opportunities. Prior to joining Expo 2020, Ms. Mehra headed the Development Capital division of UAE-based Daman Investments for 10 years.

Nadimeh

Vice President, Transition Unit, Expo 2020 Dubai

Nadimeh Mehra

Belen is an architect and urban designer with experience working in South America. She currently teaches and researches at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and is doing her PhD at Durham University (UK). Belen is the coordinator of CASA (Ciudades Auto-Sostenibles Amazónicas) (Self-Sustainable Cities in the Amazon), an action-research project exploring settlement relocation in the Amazon Rainforest and the Latin America and the Caribbean Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator of GRRIPP (Gender Responsive Resilience and Intersectionality in Policy and Practice), a research project focusing on resilience with an emphasis on gender responsive infrastructure; seeking to understand and enhance people’s resilience to shocks, and support the development of more sustainable infrastructure, in all its diverse forms.

Belen Desmaison

Architect and Urban Designer; Coordinator, CASA

Belén Desmaison

Bjorn Low is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Edible Garden City, an urban farming social enterprise based in Singapore. Bjorn is a leader in the grow-your-own food movement, which is transforming the Singaporean mindset around farming. He leads a sizeable “farm-lab” in the city that incubates other start-ups and encourages more urban farming entrepreneurs in the urban food and waste solutions space.

He holds a Bachelors of Commerce from Curtin University and is currently a PhD candidate at RMIT University’s School of Architecture and Urban Design. 

Bjorn Low

Executive Director and Co-founder, Edible Garden City

Dr. Elizabeth C English has experience in education, practice, teaching and research in both the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Architectural Theory from the University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth is a pioneer in the emerging field of amphibious architecture. Her current research focuses on developing amphibious foundation systems as a flood risk reduction and climate change adaptation strategy that supports the preservation of traditional housing forms and respect for local cultural practices, with projects addressing the needs of Indigenous and low-income populations in Vietnam, Canada, Nicaragua, Jamaica etc. 

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Prof. Elizabeth English

Tatiana Antonelli Abella is the Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook, a Social Enterprise dedicated to Sustainability and Sustainable Development. Founded in 2009, Goumbook is one of the oldest Social Enterprises in the UAE and today it manages many projects working with different partners from various sectors. Tatiana sits on the Engage Committee, under Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s umbrella and has been nominated Environmental Ambassador for the Middle East Youth Expo. She also acts as an advisor to events such as Art Dubai or the Emirates Literature Festival to help them be more sustainable. Since 2012 she has been proud to be a judge of the Gulf Capital SME Awards for the ‘Most Sustainable Business of the Year’. 

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Tatiana Antonelli Abella

Greg Clark, CBE, is an urbanist, author, global advisor, chairman and non-executive director. Clark has advised more than 200 cities, 50 national governments and a wide array of bodies including the OECD, Brookings Institution, the World Bank and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on strategies for city development and investment. He also advises global investors and corporate service companies on how to align with city leaders.”

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Group Advisor on Future Cities and New Industries, HSBC

Greg Clark

Dave Hopping joined Siemens in 1989, and is the CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure Solutions & Services. He is responsible for the smart building and smart grid portfolios including building IoT, automation, fire safety, security, energy, low and medium voltage, digital grid, and control components. All but four of his more than 30 years of industry experience have been with Siemens. During this time, Hopping has held leadership positions in Sales, Operations, and Management across the USA.


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CEO, Smart Infrastructure Solutions, Siemens

David Hopping

Gábor is a certified electrical engineer with 10 years of experience in fintech, and product development. After graduating, he was working on different online projects, such as the development and launch of the first online stock exchange in Hungary. He was the CEO of one of Hungary's most successful loan-comparison portals. 3 years ago he founded AquaShield Control. The company's main goal is to develop and manufacture the most advanced smart monitoring and controlling device and operating system for greenhouses and indoor farms. He and his team launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2019 and an Indiegogo campaign in 2020. Both campaigns were successful and now Gábor and his team is actively looking for outside investors to scale up the AquaShield Control.


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Gábor Sulcz

Amira Osman is a Sudanese/South African architect, researcher, academic, activist, public speaker, and author. She is a Professor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology and holds the position of SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment). Amira is currently a joint coordinator for the international CIB W104 Open Building Implementation network and the Vice-President of the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) and will be hosting the conference: A City is [Not] a Tree: the Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities in 2022. She is the director of the organisation  PLATFORM100 which is a thinktank and a collaborative vehicle for promoting change in conversations and practice around architecture, space and cities. 

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Professor of Architecture, Tshwane University of Technology

Prof. Amira Osman

Mokena Makeka is a Principal in Dalberg Advisors. He is a an accomplished architect, artist, creative, curator, global leader, scholar, speaker, urbanist. He is currently the Azrieli Visiting Critic of 2020, Carleton University School of architecture and urbanism- Canada, Adjunct Professor Cooper Union- New York, and is a Board member of the South African Green Building Council and is a board member of the Cape Town Central City Improvement district. He is at the forefront of thinking on contemporary inclusive African Cities, and is focused on ecological and socio-economic justice. Mokena Makeka is one the 40 cultural leaders of WEF17, Davos/Klosters alongside such luminaries as Shakira and Forest Whitaker, recognised for speaking truth to power and seeking to change the world for better. 

Architect and Principal, Dalberg (Moderator)

Mokena Makeka

Tan Szue Hann is an award-winning Architect, strategist and thought leader in sustainability and sustainable development. Hann is the Chairman of Sustainability, Singapore Institute of Architects, the professional body for Architects in Singapore, and leads sustainable development at a leading global hospitality chain. Hann is also an appointed World Cities Summit Young Leader, and BCA Built Environment Young Leader. In 2021, he co-founded IxSA (Innovation x Sustainability Alliance), a global non-profit think tank, with a group of sustainability leaders. His portfolio includes the award-winning ParkRoyal on Pickering with WOHA. He has spoken in numerous conferences including SWITCH, the UN Asia Pacific Urban Forum, and COP25 in Madrid.



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Chairman of Sustainability, Singapore Institute of Architects

Mr. Tan Szue Hann

As humanity becomes more of an urban species, more nature-centric urban planning approaches will be needed to help mitigate the impact of growing cities on our planet.  

Growing urban centres have become the ultimate and most visible example of the impact we have on the planet - places made by and for humans alone: Anthropocities.  

Rampant urbanisation is taking its toll on ecosystems, biodiversity and human health. Estimates suggest that cities are responsible for 75 percent of global CO2 emissions, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors. At the same time, cities are facing new threats from climate change, ranging from heat islands to flooding.  

We cannot tackle these challenges without transforming the way we build and manage our cities, which is why urban planners are now increasingly approaching the city as a living ecosystem, in which the natural and the urban can coexist, become complementary and less mutually exclusive. Let’s explore this paradigm shift in the “natural” cities of tomorrow.

Keeping the Urban Jungle Alive

WM Natural Cities

How can we create cities that work in harmony with nature?

Session Programme - Natural Cities 

Natural Cities - Documents

World Majlis | Natural Cities: Preserving a Slice of Nature in Our Urban Spaces

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

Build Bridges image

Build Bridges 

Build Bridges Icon

Explore a series of exciting conversations inspired by the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai. The World Majlis is a vibrant forum where diverse points of views are shared on important topics of our time. Each conversation brings together globally recognised thought-leaders who are invited for their exceptional contributions to the theme and their unique perspective on the topic. In each Majlis, students and members of the public are also welcome to contribute and engage.

World Majlis

Conversations on complex issues that bring together thought leaders, visionaries and changemakers.

Dreamer Dialogues is a special series launched by the UAE Pavilion, bringing together visionary leaders and thought experts to discuss global topics that are relevant to ensuring a better future in the region, such as the environment and climate change, food and water security, youth and creativity. Throughout the previous sessions, the series celebrated those inspiring people who pursued their dreams here in the UAE, providing a platform for them to share their stories.

With the closing of Expo 2020 Dubai, the series concludes by exploring a more sustainable near future for the UAE. The conversation looks at different
facets of the future including how to live more responsibly, how to engage with the environment, and how to build and approach urban planning.

The talk begins with a keynote address by Ahmed al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, followed by discussions around four facets of the UAE's near future; namely Food, Transit, Energy, and How We Build. The list of high-level panelists leading these discussions include Patrick Jarjour, Dr. Monica Menendez, Dr. Nicolas Calvet, and Wael Al Awar, respectively. The session is moderated by Kelsey Warner, Future Editor at The National.

Future Cities: Reflecting, Dreaming and Looking Ahead

Dreamer Dialogues: Future Cities

Curated by the UAE Pavilion, this last Dreamer Dialogues session explores a more sustainable near future for the UAE through responsible living, engaging with the environment, and urban planning.

EXHIBITOR Magazine Announces World Expo Award Winners

EXHIBITOR Magazine's World Expo Awards

The Powerhouse Pavilions

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UAE Image Gallery

Open-heartedness and ambition are values captured by the UAE Pavilion, designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. The remarkable building is reminiscent of a falcon in flight, inspired by our national bird. Once inside, go on a multisensory journey that chronicles the rise of a nation of “dreamers who do”. Traverse a dreamlike landscape filled with dunes of real sand to learn about our nation’s founding father Sheikh Zayed, the natural wonders of the Emirates and their rapid modernisation. Be inspired by stories of the UAE dreamers building an inclusive future as the desert sun filters through the pavilion’s oculus. 

The design of the UAE Pavilion evokes a falcon in flight; referencing the Emirates’ traditional art of falconry. The main building resembles a titanic oval, with a grand, four storey entrance set into the tip. More than 25 feather-like panels are arranged at the dome of the pavilion, each curving down toward the entry of the structure. 

World Cities Day

Speaker of the day

Speaker

Ahmed & Rashid Bin Shabib

Speaker

Nadimeh Mehra

Speaker

Belén Desmaison

Speaker

Bjorn Low

Speaker

Prof. Elizabeth English

Speaker

Tatiana Antonelli Abella

Speaker

Ahmed & Rashid Bin Shabib

Speaker

Nadimeh Mehra

Speaker

Belén Desmaison

Speaker

Bjorn Low

Image Gallery

Urban & Rural Development Week.

This event is part of the
World Cities Day.

Speaker of the day

Image Gallery

Urban & Rural Development Week.

This event is part of theWorld Cities Day.

This event is part of the
World Cities Day.