Multiple pavilions from Expo 2020 Dubai will be repurposed, as local and international businesses, organisations, and educational institutions set up shop at its legacy site. About 3,000 employees will be working out of offices at Expo City Dubai by September.

Anchor tenants and new businesses setting up their operations include DP World, Emirates Airline, Siemens Energy, Siemens Industrial, Terminus Group, Engie, and Gratiya Consultancy.

Expo City Dubai offers an enabling free zone environment and digital platforms. Designed as a blueprint for ‘green’ urban planning, it retains 80 per cent of Expo 2020's infrastructure.

These are the former pavilions that will find a new purpose:

Australia Pavilion

It will house the University of Wollongong Data Science, Discovery and Innovation Centre. Professor Patricia M. Davidson, vice-chancellor and president, said: “The centre will enhance the university’s and Australia's presence in the area, creating valuable opportunities for students, researchers, and industry to make a lasting impact. Launching the centre at Expo City Dubai reflects our belief that data science can revolutionise industries and improve lives in numerous ways, and that the most effective research is conducted collaboratively and collegially.”

Finland Pavilion

This will become FinGulf LLC. Mika Puustinen, manager of FinGulf LLC, said: “Sustainability and the circular economy were central to the Finland Pavilion’s purpose at Expo 2020 Dubai, and extending its life cycle into Expo City Dubai is a concrete example of our commitment to these principles. Under FinGulf, the pavilion and exhibition will continue to serve as a platform for building bridges between the UAE and Finland as well as other Nordic countries, and sees us well-placed to contribute to the upcoming COP28.”

China Pavilion

It will continue to support China-UAE relations and business development. A spokesperson for the pavilion said: “A symbol of the friendship between China and the UAE, the China Pavilion has been preserved and set to become an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Retaining the original design, facilities, and function, the China Pavilion will support the continued, high-quality development of China-UAE economic and trade relations, and people-to-people connectivity. (It will) support Chinese enterprises looking to invest and do business in the UAE and serve as a hub for Chinese culture and storytelling through a variety of enriching events.”

Emirates Pavilion

This is being transformed into a “bespoke space” for Emirates Group Innovation and Emerging Technologies Centre. Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, said: “This will serve as a base for our innovation team, a venue for events, and also a space for global partners to collaborate with us on projects that will propel our vision for aviation and travel.”

A business hub

Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs and SMEs — as well as government, academia, and research institutions — will work together at Expo City. The aim is to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre of trade.

Manal AlBayat, chief engagement officer, Expo City Dubai, said: “Organisations of all sizes, across a myriad of sectors and from all around the world are crucial to Expo City’s legacy plans and take forward Expo 2020 Dubai’s purpose to connect minds and create the future. We’re honoured to welcome such a diverse group of partners, and strive to connect and inspire these businesses, enabling them to thrive, and supporting their growth aspirations.”

Expo City Dubai is a 15-minute city, with all amenities and attractions falling within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance.

Helmut von Struve, CEO of Siemens Industrial in the Middle East and the UAE, said: “We are delighted to announce the relocation of our Dubai headquarters to Expo City Dubai, one of the emirate's most technologically advanced and sustainable districts … As the Infrastructure Digitalisation Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Siemens is proud to have collaborated in the development of the city and now to have our offices in a prime global destination for numerous companies and residents.”

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