'Sustainability is a core sub-theme of the expo'

Solar panels to generate electricity, recycled waste water and the use of public transport are among green initiatives planned for the UAE's expo centre.

Much of the 438-hectare site's energy needs will be met using photovoltaic panels on the building's facade, according to expo committee member Helal Saeed Al Marri, the chief executive of Dubai World Trade Centre and director general of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

"Sustainability is a core sub-theme of the expo and, therefore, it is a core tenet of the site design, the operations of the expo and the delivery of the expo experience," he said.

"Each aspect of environmental impact - energy, water, waste, materials - has been addressed in the master plan."

Local plants will be used in landscape design and treated sewage effluent will be diverted to district cooling and irrigation.

The area will be largely car-free with bus and Metro connectivity, as well as a cable-car system to transport visitors within the site.

After the fair, the expo site will not go to waste either: it is to be used as a university and research hub.