Expo City Dubai

Expo City Dubai: the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo City Dubai is the urban development that was born as the site of Expo 2020 Dubai, the first World Expo held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Conceived as a city of the future that would host a World Expo for its first six months, the event took place in the year of the United Arab Emirates' Golden Jubilee and generated benefits for Dubai, the country, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and its Member States.

According to data released by the organisation itself, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed 24.1 million visitors from 192 nations amid global health uncertainty, and also recorded 251.2 million virtual visitors who explored its attractions and events through a 3D recreation of the site and 360-degree virtual tours.

A city to live, work and visit

Expo City Dubai presents itself as a connected and sustainable community where people live, work, learn and visit. The project is structured into several districts: Expo Downtown, Expo Business, Expo Hills, Expo Valley and Expo Fields. The residential offering includes developments such as Expo Valley Views, Al Waha Residences, Sidr Residences, Maha Villas, Yasmina Villas, Shamsa Townhouses, Sky Residences and Mangrove Residences.

The city features parks and wellness areas, a dining and retail offering with restaurants, cafés and shops, as well as attractions, events and workshops held throughout the year. It offers a city map, on-site mobility information, VIP guided tours, its own app and services for celebrations such as birthday parties.

Free zone and business environment

Expo City Dubai operates a free zone that offers 100% foreign ownership and business setup services, commercial packages, commercial spaces and a business directory. The offering is aimed at both individuals and new companies or branches, as well as retail and restaurant businesses, with short-term options.

Workspaces include offices, retail and restaurant units, the Future Forward Business Hub and coworking areas. The city presents itself as home to Grade A offices and a community of innovators.

Green innovation and sustainability

In partnership with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Expo City Dubai has become the country's first Green Innovation District, a space where economic opportunity and ecological responsibility converge, aimed at clean technology companies and circular economy solutions to address the climate challenge.

The city's sustainability strategy includes a decarbonisation roadmap, the Seeds of Change programme, impact reports and a 2025 sustainability report presented in an interactive format.

Initiatives and programmes

Expo City Dubai runs various initiatives, including the Expo City Dubai Foundation, the Women's Pavilion, a schools programme and the Firdaus Orchestra. In the field of education, Expo 2020 Dubai recorded one million school visits through four tours designed specifically for students, with access to the three districts and numerous pavilions.

The global innovation and partnership programme Expo Live positively benefited 5.8 million people through its grants.

Event spaces

The city offers a portfolio of event spaces ranging from landmark architecture to flexible indoor and outdoor venues, designed to host everything from global summits to intimate gatherings. Key venues include Terra, the Connect Conference Centre (C3) and Nexus. Spaces are organised by event type: weddings and social events, meetings and conferences, fitness and wellness, and festivals and events.

The organisation makes available to interested parties a 278 MB Expo 2020 Dubai closing report with the full story of the event.