Inside Expo

On March 31, 2022, the history-making 6-month event that was Expo 2020 Dubai officially closed her doors. Her last heartbeats emanated from Al Wasl Plaza at 7:45 PM. The closing ceremony marked an end to a decade-plus long journey and celebrated a new beginning for the city of Dubai and the world.   In the very last episode of our series we say goodbye to Expo 2020 Dubai, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Inside the Opportunity pavilion is a room called Mission Possible. In this room, nearly half a million people made pledges to take small but consistent steps in their day to day lives, for a better world. The Opportunity pavilion was inspired by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, breaking down 17 ambitious goals into steps and projects that each one of us can employ. In the second part of our series on the theme of Opportunity at Expo 2020 Dubai, we will embark on a tour inside Mission Possible, Expo's Opportunity Pavilion, and take a closer look at the intention behind its design.  This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

What does it mean when you talk about the United Nations' sustainable development goals and how do you make it accessible in a way that really resonates with everybody?   As one of the three main sub themes of Expo 2020, Opportunity has an intended purpose: to put words into action. The Global Goals are the perfect expression of what opportunity means. In the first of this two part series about Opportunity at Expo 2020 Dubai, we discover how, in a period of six months, the Global Goals for a brighter, more prosperous future came to life and inspired action by potentially thousands, if not millions of people.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

At the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, right next to Al Wasl Plaza, is the elegant pavilion of the United Arab Emirates. It's futuristic-looking and avante-garde. An architectural marvel with literal wings, inspired by the national symbol of the United Arab Emirates: the falcon.   In this episode, we take a look at the architecture of the UAE pavilion, Alif the mobility pavilion, and Terra the sustainability pavilion. How do they continue a long tradition of World Expos being a platform for architectural innovation?    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

When many of us think of ancient civilizations our minds may venture to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia or India. But it turns out that there was a centre of trade right in the middle of the desert just south of Dubai that connects with each of these ancient civilizations called Saruq Al-Hadid, and it's believed to have existed as far back as the Iron Age 4,000 years ago.   Of all the many artefacts found at Saruq Al-Hadid a tiny golden ring stood out. This golden  ring, now a symbol of Emirati heritage and pride, inspired Expo 2020's logo, and even Al Wasl Plaza, the centrepiece of the site. In this episode, we'll tell the story of the  communities that lived in Saruq Al-Hadid and how they helped create a ring that came to represent Expo 2020 Dubai.     This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

What at Expo 2020 Dubai will be in popular culture 20 years from now? That's the question Charles Pappas asks himself while walking around the site. Charles is the author of a history on World Expos called ‘Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords'. Over the years, World Expos have shaped history, individual lives, and popular culture.    In this episode, we give the mic to Charles Pappas to tell us several little stories that prove how World Expos not only influence pop culture, but make it.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Many miles away from the Expo site, on the other side of the world, is a rising fitness wearables company named WHOOP. Together, Expo 2020 Dubai and WHOOP rolled out a wellness program for Expo workers and set out to test the power of biometric health tech, in one of the busiest construction projects, where at the peak of construction, some 45,000 staff were on site.    How can programs like this help make construction sites safer and protect workers in labour-intensive industries? In today's episode, a prototype — and example of what could happen when labour standards, health and wellness, and technology interconnect.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Located in the Sustainability District, the Vision Pavilion is an emotional and inspiring homage to the Ruler of Dubai and celebrates the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The space reflects  the city of Dubai itself, small in size, but huge in impact.  In today's episode, we'll take you through the Vision Pavilion, a space unlike any other on the Expo grounds that showcases this vision which embraces the past with its traditions and heritage but is fiercely forward looking: ambitious and optimistic. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Wherever you are in the world today, you can see and experience Expo in whichever virtual way you prefer. Whether you are a gamer, looking for content or just curious to explore the Expo site, Virtual Expo has got you covered. Alaa Alshroogi and the Virtual Expo team oversaw the creation of the entire Virtual Expo experience. These platforms have become the core of our connectedness and how accessibility came to have a whole other meaning.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In 1325, a young scholar by the name of Ibn Battuta left his home in Morocco, to join a convoy headed to Mecca. He was to perform the Muslim Pilgrimage of Hajj and, at the time, the journey was expected to last over a year. But, Ibn Battuta would not return home for another 28 years. He continued a lifelong journey and travelled 120,000 kilometres which is enough to circle the world 3 times.    In the second episode of our two-part Mobility series, we look at the lives of three extraordinary individuals, including Ibn Battuta, who shaped our understanding of the world through the lens of mobility. How did Alif - the Mobility Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai - breathe new life into these larger-than-life historical figures?    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In the past few years, the team behind Expo 2020 Dubai gave “mobility” a lot of thought. After all, it is one of Expo's three main themes: Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity.    This episode, the first in a two-part series on how Expo 2020 Dubai redefines mobility, is a tour inside Alif, the Mobility Pavilion. And who better to guide us inside Alif than Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai and the driving force behind Alif, and Erik van der Schaft, Alif's director.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

The UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai centres around the concept of a collective message to space. To do this, the UK pavilion is using an artificial intelligence software that actually thinks of and writes out poems. This power of connecting minds from around the globe, to input diverse data points and create a pattern of some kind, is at the root of artificial intelligence. This is what makes a melting pot like Expo 2020 Dubai an ideal incubator to showcase and experiment with AI.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Surreal is a bedazzling water feature at the centre of Expo 2020 Dubai. As one of the highlight attractions on the Expo grounds, Surreal brings together an intricate system of engineering with an ambitious architectural design and beautiful musical compositions in one piece. And it continues to attract, amaze and entertain visitors every day.   In the final part of our three-part series exploring architecture at Expo, we're diving deep into how Surreal came to be and the splash it created with Expo visitors.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

The journey of Al Wasl, the beating heart of Expo, lasted five years — from conception all the way to the moment it was crowned. At 67.5 meters tall and 130-meters wide, it's the world's largest 360-degree projection surface. But what makes Al Wasl so distinct is that it isn't just a dome. It's also a plaza. A place of gathering. In Arabic, Al Wasl means connection. It links all of Expo's three thematic districts: sustainability, mobility and opportunity. In part two of our three-part series exploring architecture at Expo, we'll hear from the masterminds that brought Al Wasl to life.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

How do you design the right entrance into the city of the future - and Expo?  Imagine that you are walking through an enormous gate made of fine lines of structure. It is as if you are walking through a 3D Mashrabiya… immersed in its light, shade and airflow aesthetics. And as you walk away, the portal transfers you into a courtyard filled with trees.  This is the main entrance to Expo 2020 Dubai. In part one of our three-part series exploring architecture at Expo, we will come closer to the three ethereal entry portals of Expo 2020 Dubai and how they were brought to life.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

What is it that makes our prehistoric origins so fascinating to us? Why do we go to such great lengths to visit and document the ancient skeletal remains of an ancestral human species? And what is the significance of curating this moment in our past at Expo 2020 Dubai? Travel into the past through the Ethiopian and Serbian pavilions as they showcase the importance of prehistoric times.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Throughout history, different cultures have informed each other in ways that create new forms of communication, of expression, of existence. Everything from the Mexican taco to contemporary pop music is the result of cultural fusion and, in a way, it feels like the potential for these combos is endless.    So what happens when you bring 192 unique countries together in the same place? Across pavilions at Expo, neighboring hosts talk to each other. They are never neighbors around the world. At Expo 2020 Dubai, they're neighbors here.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

On the night of September 30th, 2021, people everywhere watched as the first World Expo in the region commemorated a historic milestone as Expo 2020 Dubai was officially declared open.    At the heart of the Opening Ceremony is a young girl who becomes the protagonist in this inaugural moment of Expo 2020 Dubai. She presents the uplifting, never-stopping curiosity of Dubai. Through this narrative that unfolds inside the beating heart of the site, Al Wasl Plaza, she guides us to a picture perfect metaphor of what our world could be. As this Expo takes place in real time, we look back at the creative process that made this opening ceremony so magical.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Sofia is a grade 10 student who loves to bike. She is also the innovator behind Darraja, a wearable solution that increases bikers' safety. Darraja is on display along with 297 other innovations at the ground floor of Terra - the Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Those innovations were designed and implemented by students within the Young Innovators Initiative, part of the Expo School Programme.  In this episode, we will see Expo 2020 Dubai from the eyes of the young ones and how they got to be key-players, stakeholders and shapers of this world event.  This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

So much of Expo's public realm was designed to inspire a sense of child-like wonder, from the biggest architectural marvel to the smallest tile on the ground. The Expo is full of Easter eggs! These small things that help give this material space a character. A soul. In today's episode, we go on an Easter egg hunt as we see, hear, smell, touch, and feel all the details that make Expo 2020 Dubai the lived-in city that it is. What stories do the small things tell, and how do they make this place a home?   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Over 192 countries are participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, with over 60 unique daily events in a space that is twice the size of Monaco. But how do you capture the magnitude and magic of this 182-day mega event?   This process of ‘telling' the story of Expo requires large teams that work behind the scenes. In this episode, we'll uncover the ‘how' of Expo stories; we'll hear from the communications team drafting the messages, the media specialists setting up their operations, and, of course, from the journalists bringing Expo to your feeds.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Jason and Cesar have each visited multiple World Expos throughout their lives, including Expo 2020 Dubai. With each Expo, they travel the world over the span of a few days - without even setting foot on an airplane. But it's more than just a trip for them - it's an experience. In this episode, we hear from Expo superfans, as they share their favorite stories, the work they do to keep the legacy of Expos alive, and why you should become an Expo superfan yourself.  This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In the final episode of our three-part series exploring the music of Dubai's Expo: the story of Al Wasl Opera, an original opera commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai.   Al Wasl is the first ever Emirati opera, produced in partnership with the world-renowned Welsh National Opera. Its story spans the past, present, and future of the United Arab Emirates and asks the questions: what is Al Wasl - the link - between us as humans? Between us and our planet? Between connecting today's minds and creating the future?   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In part two of our three-part series exploring music at Dubai's Expo, we're talking about “This is Our Time” - the official theme song for Expo 2020 Dubai.    As the official song for the first Expo event in the Arab world, the significance of “This is Our Time” spreads far and wide. While this was the first Expo theme song to have Arab musical influences, it drew inspiration from many other theme songs in history that blended local and international music. It was a worldwide collaborative effort spanning seven cities, two orchestras, and three main singers: Emirati legends Hussain Al-Jassmi and Almas, and Lebanese-American Mayssa Karaa.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In July 2020, the UAE sent off a mission to space, the Emirates Mars Mission. Inspired by the space expedition, A.R. Rahman, renowned Indian composer and performer, composed an original piece for the Firdaus Orchestra, the legacy orchestra that debuted at Expo 2020 Dubai. The heavenly Firdaus Orchestra is an ensemble of 50 female musicians from across the Arab world that bring together a constellation of different talents and diverse instruments.   In the first in a three-part series exploring music at Dubai's Expo, we'll chart the makings of this wonderful orchestra with its gifted conductor Yasmina Sabbah and star mentor A.R. Rahman.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Over the years, World Expos have become a popular platform to showcase robots and how they have evolved to fit into our human world. From Elektro, the first robot to smoke cigarettes in 1939, to the multi-lingual Actroid in 2005 at an Expo in Japan. Today, Expo 2020 Dubai is the first time the world is witnessing 152 robots distributed site-wide, interacting with visitors at an Expo.     This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In Khaleeji culture, the proverb goes, “Al majalis madaris” or “The majalis are schools”. The majlis is a space for people to come together and learn, listen, and rest. It still exists today around the Arab world. In today's episode, we look at the rich history of the majlis in the UAE and how its values have been instilled in the spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai. And everyone's invited.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Mascots, stemming from the French word mascotte meaning good luck charms, have long been present at past Expos. The first Expo mascot a cartoon pelican dressed in a tuxedo jacket and top hat at the 1984 Louisiana Specialised Expo. In this episode, we're introducing you to the wonderful family of mascots for Expo 2020 Dubai which includes two siblings, three robot guardians, and a Ghaf tree.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Back in 1970, before the formation of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi participated at the Osaka Expo in Japan. What had started as an ambitious vision to put together a pavilion in Japan fifty years ago has blossomed into a World Expo hosting 192 countries in the UAE today.    This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Since the very beginning, World Expos have been both markers and interpreters of history. From displaying steam trains at the London Expo in 1851 to unveiling the QWERTY keyboard at the Philadelphia World's Fair in 1876.   Now, in an era where it's more important than ever to leverage technology to our advantage, Expo 2020 Dubai is tackling some of the questions surrounding how we actually do that.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Generally, a World Expo lasts six months. But planning for it can take around a decade. And the impact it makes on a city can last for centuries.  How do cities carry the memory of such an enormous event? In the second half of our two-part series about Expo legacies, we'll get a glimpse of a future Dubai where the Expo site is transformed into District 2020, an all-inclusive, smart city, where 80% of Expo's built environment will be turned into a global innovation hub. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Generally, a World Expo lasts six months. But planning for it can take around a decade. And the impact it makes on a city can last for centuries.  How do cities carry the memory of such an enormous event? In the first of a two-part series on Expo legacies, we're bringing you two stories about two very different Expo experiences, one in London and one in Lisbon. They take place more than a century apart, but at their core is Expo's tradition of harnessing big ambitions. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

The Expo 2020 team had to adapt to our new, largely online world. But Virtual Expo isn't the first time a World Expo revolutionised how it was experienced by audiences. The first visual broadcast of a news event in history took place at the New York's World's Fair in 1939. Before its public debut at the New York's World's Fair, television broadcasts were confined to experimentation in labs. Today, Expo 2020 Dubai is once again pushing its experience to new heights with Virtual Expo.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In 1878, Augustine Mouchot, a Mathematics teacher, exhibited solar technology at the World's Fair in Paris. Almost 150 years later, Terra, the Sustainability Pavillion at the World Expo, is harnessing solar tech. Learn about the e-forest that makes it possible for Terra to not only generate energy for its entire Pavilion, but push out energy to Expo, and the rest of Dubai and the UAE.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

When Expo 2020 Dubai embarked on its mission to become the most sustainable World Expo yet, it looked to the world's oldest innovator for inspiration: nature. In part one of this series, we look at how 3.8 billion years of innovation have been channeled into Terra, the sustainability pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Journey through this marvelous building and learn how it mimics nature to achieve its ambitious goals.   This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that Expos are one-off events that nations host at random every five years or so. There's a logic, however, to World Expos - and the source of that logic is the BIE, the Bureau International des Expositions. His Excellency Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the BIE, explains the BIE's role in organising World Expos, and what goes into making each World Expo different from the last. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

With greater global awareness about mental wellness, innovators are finding ways to make help more accessible. In spaces where traditional therapy can be taboo or early intervention for youth is lacking, social entrepreneurs are stepping in and bridging the gap. Expo 2020's grant program, Expo Live, showcases some of these tangible solutions and propels forward important conversations about the mental health industry. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Just as the finish line was in sight for Expo 2020's launch, reports of the Covid-19 virus began to dominate the news. The World Expo was postponed until 2021, but the question still remained: how does the World Expo safely bring the world together post-Covid? Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, takes us behind the scenes as she reflects on the team's journey. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

In the 1960s, people (and World Expos) were obsessed with going to space, to infinity and beyond, to where no human had gone before. Shortly after the moon landing in 1969, however, the focus shifted to our problems here on Earth. Over 50 years later and after the success of the Emirates Mars Mission, Expo 2020 Dubai is bringing back an excitement for space as the next great frontier. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai, produced by Kerning Cultures Network. 

“When women thrive, humanity thrives.” This is the driving principle behind Expo 2020 Dubai's Women's Pavilion - the first of its kind at a World Expo in the 21st century. In this episode, we follow the story of the brave women who fought to establish the first ever Women's Pavilion at the 1876 Philadelphia World Expo. We'll see how Expo 2020 Dubai is adding to that rich history by fighting gender inequalities, creating new perspectives, and challenging stereotypes. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai, produced by Kerning Cultures Network. 

When you look at a piece of art - what do you see? Our understanding of visual perception dates all the way back to the 11th century, thanks to Ibn Al Haytham. His Book of Optics defined many of the scientific principles we still use today - especially light and vision. Now, his philosophy is the inspiration behind Expo 2020 Dubai's public art programme. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai, produced by Kerning Cultures Network. 

In 1876, bananas were still a delicacy in the United States. But that year at the Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition, they went mainstream as a hygienic and sustainable food in a world where food poisoning was all too common. Now, 144 years later in Dubai, how will today's Expo continue to imagine how we eat in the future? This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Any time you eat a burger, plug your phone in, turn on the TV, take money out of an ATM, eat an ice cream cone, or ride an escalator, you're doing something that originated or was popularized at a World Expo. In the first episode of Inside Expo, we'll take a look at what a World Expo is, how they've changed our world, and why we should be paying attention to them. This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai and produced by Kerning Cultures Network.

Twice a week, we'll take you on a journey through nearly 200 years of captivating history that's been made at Expos throughout the world. Episodes will be released starting November 12th. Subscribe to Inside Expo on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.  This podcast is by Expo 2020 Dubai, produced by Kerning Cultures Network.