‘Expo 2020 can change urban development in UAE and region’

Shanghai: Prominent thought leaders from around the world came together in Shanghai, China for a conversation about future cities and the transformative power of World Expos at Expo 2020 Dubai’s second international World Majlis session, which was hosted at the World Expo Museum (WEM).

The latest World Majlis session, titled ‘The Future of Cities: World Expos as Experiments in Mega-Change’, saw 25 current and aspiring leaders address the future of urban living, as well as the potential of World Expos to influence long-term development in their host cities and beyond.

Moderated by Marjan Faraidooni, Senior Vice President — Legacy Development and Impact, Expo 2020 Dubai, other World Majlis participants included His Excellency Hong Hao, Chairman, WEM; Professor Joan Busquets, Harvard School of Design and Technical University of Catalonia; and Professor Cheng Jian, Shanghai Coordination Centre of World Cities Day.

The Shanghai World Majlis session coincided with the inaugural World Expo Forum for Development and International Cooperation, which saw senior officials from Expo 2020 Dubai join 350 international delegates at WEM to discuss global collaboration, innovation, design, culture, and economic and urban impact.

A scale model of the Expo 2020 site was also unveiled during the World Expo Forum. The master plan, displayed throughout the two days of the event, will remain as a permanent exhibition within WEM, contributing to the museum’s content.

Najeeb Mohammad Al Ali, executive director of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, who hosted the World Majlis session, said: “As the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Expo 2020 has the potential to positively influence urban development across Dubai, the UAE and the region as a whole. The insights generated during the World Majlis session in Shanghai will help shape this journey, making a meaningful contribution to the impact of the next World Expo on future cities.”