When you find yourself standing in Al Wasl Plaza, your first instinct might be to look up at the dome. But make sure you also look down, to the ground, where dozens of bronze medallions, each a metre in diameter, are embedded at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai.
Each pays homage to an idea, an achievement, a moment in UAE history, depicting the country’s exponential growth.
There are 42 in total, the number of years it took for the UAE to win the Expo bid.
“Those medallions are hidden gems that tell the story of a nation that cherishes its land, that celebrates its heroes, that values art, science, education and pursues a better future by connection and collaboration through mobility, opportunity and sustainability, which are the themes of Expo 2020,” said Essa Alzarooni, Expo's assistant manager of Visitor Experience.
Five international artists – Owen Davey, Nick Hayes, Sarah Maxwell, Rui Ricardo and Siku – from a UK agency called folio designed the beautiful illustrations based on stories chosen by the Expo teams.
Next to each design, there is a short description in Arabic and English, to tell onlookers what it’s all about, and they are grouped by theme.
Here are six that stand out:
Title: Salicornia
Description: “A humble Emirati succulent called salicornia is helping reimagine the future of aviation by offering a green alternative to jet fuel. Grown sustainably through seawater irrigation, the plant yields a potent biofuel. In 2019, the first salicornia-powered aircraft flew from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam.”
Title: 2013
Description: “On 27 November 2013, the UAE celebrated its victorious bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. The win, a first for the region, sparked years of innovative development, bringing people from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia together to create this unforgettable global event.”
Title: Partnerships
Description: “The UAE believes that co-operation is crucial to creating a better world for everyone. From supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to providing humanitarian aid where it is needed most, the UAE utilises international partnerships to promote opportunity and human growth around the globe.”
Title: Education
Description: “To the UAE’s founding fathers, education was vitally important – a lantern to light our way in the dark. Beginning with the establishment of its first government-run primary school in 1959, the UAE has created a world-class network of diverse, multicultural learning institutions instilling students not just with knowledge, but with strong ethical values.”
Title: Space exploration
Description: “The UAE’s space programme launched its first astronaut in 2019, the opening step in an ambitious quest to explore our universe. The nation sent its cutting-edge Hope Probe into orbit around Mars in 2020, while the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre continues to advance interstellar discovery.”
Title: Majlis
Description: “A space of openness and dialogue, the majlis – or ‘sitting place’ – is the vibrant cornerstone of Emirati social life. Characterised by constructive, tolerant conversations, members of the community come together in the majlis to share news, discuss issues and ideas.”
