Expo 2020 Dubai talks to address climate change and equality

UAE Space Agency chief Sarah Al Amiri to take part in Programme for People and Planet

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, will be among the speakers at Expo 2020 Dubai. Emirates Mars Mission

The empowerment of women and developing technology that will shape the future are among the 10 themed weeks planned during a programme of Expo 2020 Dubai workshops.

Organisers of the world's fair, which opens in October, released a calendar of events for the Programme for People and Planet.

It aims to leave a lasting legacy of change by calling on the Expo’s partners, participants and visitors to explore issues of global significance.

Participants will investigate solutions to critical global challenges, such as mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss to making human habitats more sustainable.

Talks will also aim to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal access to education and health care.

Dazzling pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai

Leading experts such as UAE Space Agency chairwoman and Minister of State for Advanced Technology Sarah Al Amiri, environmentalist Dame Jane Goodall and Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit are expected to give talks.

“The Programme for People and Planet will form an essential part of our event-time activities,” said Nadia Verjee, chief of staff at the Expo.

“It will also catalyse a one-of-a-kind movement to shape the legacy that Expo 2020 leaves the world, long after we close our doors, resulting in a meaningful and measurable impact for generations to come.

“Sitting at the heart of our World Expo, it will take place at a moment in time that could not be more urgent or opportune.”

More than 220 events will take place as part of the programme, from large forums and public conventions to seminars and workshops.

The Expo's signature platform for connecting minds, the World Majlis series, will play a prominent role, with 53 individual sessions set to engage visitors over the course of six months.

Visitors will be able to explore the topics raised in the Programme for People and Planet by embarking on a curated Visitor Journey.

Self-guided tours will be available on the Expo app and allow visitors to discover the different ways in which countries, businesses and other organisations are responding to the key challenges we are facing as a global community.

The thought-provoking series of talks will give pressing issues facing the planet a major platform.

The Expo opens in Dubai on October 1 and will run until March 31, 2022, with millions of people expected to flock to the emirate from around the globe to sample the wide variety of events.

Visitors will be able to tour more than 200 pavilions at the vast Dubai South site, 191 of which represent individual countries.

Tickets for the mega event went on sale in July.

Single-entry tickets for the six-month world fair will cost Dh95 ($26), while a six-month season pass is Dh495.

Visitors also have the option of a multi-day ticket for Dh195, which gives them unrestricted access to the site for 30 consecutive days.

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.expo2020dubai.com/.