Opportunity I: The Global Goals and Expo 2020

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.