A look inside Emirates' futuristic Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion

The airline's space features virtual reality headsets, robotic arms and a design-your-own aircraft installation

The Emirates pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has opened for bookings. All photos: Emirates

The 'airport of the future' installation at the Emirates Pavilion

The pavilion's structure was inspired by the shape of aircraft wings

A future towards cleaner skies and more sustainable flying form a major part of the pavilion's showcase

Visitors can learn all about an aircraft's thrust and propulsion via a series of animations

Emirates has designed its pavilion to offer people a glimpse into the future of commercial aviation

Cabin crew will be stationed at the pavilion to show around the exhibits

Visitors will get the chance to design their own aircraft and simulate flights

Robotic arms at work at the Future Lab in the Emirates Pavilion

As Dubai gets set to open the first world fair in the Middle East next month, Emirates Airline has given visitors a sneak peek of what to expect from its futuristic pavilion.

Located in the Opportunity District of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Emirates Pavilion is in walking distance of Al Wasl Plaza, the main staging area and where the glittering opening ceremony will take place, and close to Rove Expo 2020, the only hotel at "the world's greatest show".

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Opening daily from 10am to 10pm, the airline's pavilion is staffed by cabin crew and reservations are now open for anyone wanting to book their visit in advance. Doing so allows guests to select their preferred date and time, and to skip the queues.

The towering facade of the Emirates Pavilion has been inspired by the shape of an aircraft’s wings taking flight. It is constructed from 24 aluminium cladded fins that curve around two sides of the structure, and is illuminated by an exterior 800-metre LED system.

Emirates has designed its pavilion to offer people a glimpse into the future of commercial aviation.

Set over two levels, there's space for up to 120 aviation enthusiasts at any one time in the pavilion, which is filled with interactive multisensory installations, virtual reality experiences and even some working robots.

Aviation fans will be in their element as the entire exhibition delves deep into the world of commercial flying, and also gives visitors the chance to design and "fly" their own aircraft.

Guests can get clued up about all things flight related at the Emirates thrust and propulsion installation. Here, animations related to engine and fuel technologies will be on display, including presentations about hybrid and electric flying.

Super realistic aircraft engine models will let engineering enthusiasts get an up-close look at how these future technologies will work.

The science of flight installation at the pavilion expands on this knowledge, using holographic models to demonstrate how jets fly, and detailing specifics about lift, thrust, gravity and drag.

Design and 'fly' your own Emirates aircraft

Emirates is also giving visitors the chance to design their own futurist aircraft. Using an ultra-haptic interface, visitors can build their own design, deciding on the type of engine, wings, range and livery their jet should have. Once the construction is complete, there’s the chance to fly the plane through the Emirates flight simulator to see just how well it would perform.

As the world is changing thanks to emerging technologies, airports are set to change, too. Emirates has visualised what the airport of the future looks like, giving visitors to the pavilion a chance to see how biometrics, data analytics and smart technologies will transform the passenger experience.

There’s also a focus on how flying can be more sustainable at the cleaner skies installation. This immersive experience details innovations from the world of flight that are designed to address some of the planet’s big challenges such as sustainability and population growth.

VR headsets and robotic arms

Inside the future lab, visitors can see robotic arms busy at work, demonstrating new technologies that are designed to make the aircraft of the future faster, lighter and stronger.

There’s also the chance to see what the aircraft of the future will look like for passengers. Using virtual reality headsets, guests visiting Emirates' pavilion can navigate through a virtual jet, discovering the fuselage’s interactive windows, viewing different types of cabin and exploring how seating configurations are set to change.

Every visit will be tracked, with all reactions, interactions and experiences recorded during each session. Before leaving, each guests will get a personalised multisensory cinematic presentation of their time at the Emirates Pavilion, inclusive of detailed 3D motion graphics.

There’s also an Emirates cafe and an Emirates official store inside the pavilion, where visitors can get their hands on customised Emirates and Expo 2020 Dubai merchandise.