Expo's Vision pavilion to be relaunched in District 2020

It was designed and built as a gift and tribute to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

The Vision pavilion’s facade was created from materials that illustrate Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's passion for nature and the city that rose from Dubai’s challenging natural environment. All photos: Expo 2020 Dubai

In the Passions and Values gallery, visitors are surrounded by grey sandstone, which rises into a 5.5-metre, 52-tonne sculpture of the neck and head of Dubai Millennium, Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite racehorse.

The room titled Exploring His Surroundings reimagines Sheikh Mohammed’s childhood room at Zabeel Palace.

In The Journey Continues gallery, people who live in Dubai, young and old, from the UAE and around the world, share their stories of their relationship with the city.

The Vision pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will offer visitors an “enhanced” experience when it reopens in District 2020 later this year.

District 2020 is the smart city that will repurpose more than 80 per cent of the Expo 2020 site’s built environment. It will open “in different phases between now and October”, Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, told The National when the six-month event drew to a close two weeks ago.

The most striking structures in the Dubai South neighbourhood will remain. These include Al Wasl Plaza, the UAE pavilion. The two large parks, walking routes, cycle paths and restaurants will also be retained in the city’s newest residential and business district.

The Vision pavilion, designed and built as a gift and tribute to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, is another structure that will remain as “a significant cultural asset within District 2020", organisers said on Wednesday.

Inspired by the book My Story: 50 Memories from 50 years of Service by Sheikh Mohammed, the pavilion offers visitors a glimpse of the influences that have shaped his life with an in-depth guided tour.

Visitors learn about Sheikh Mohammed’s childhood and passions, the traditional Emirati values instilled in him by his father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, and his grandfather, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum, and the experiences that influenced his vision for Dubai and the UAE.

The development of the pavilion was a top-secret project, initially led by an internal team of only four people, to surprise Sheikh Mohammed. He visited the pavilion for the first time on October 10.

“The Vision pavilion tells a relatable human story: we all had childhood wonders, we all have passions and pastimes, we all have ambition and a vision,” said Marjan Faraidooni, chief experience officer at Expo 2020 Dubai.

“We are all shaped by our environment and have the power to change it, too — HH Sheikh Mohammed was shaped by his father and grandfather’s values and by Dubai, and, in turn, has shaped Dubai and continues to do so.”

The exhibition will be relaunched in the same format as was seen during Expo 2020 Dubai. But it will feature “a visitor experience further augmented with different programmes, alongside enhanced visitor services”, organisers said.