It welcomed 24 million visitors during Expo 2020 Dubai; now Expo City Dubai is gearing up to host its most significant event since the World Expo two years ago, with 70,000 accredited visitors and 50,000 daily visitors expected during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), known as COP28 UAE.

Expo City Dubai organisers have revealed that the UAE public will be able to be part of the event, which runs from November 30 until December 12, with a number of activations and exhibitions happening on the sidelines of COP28 through its special Green Zone.

While COP28’s Blue Zone is strictly dedicated to accredited UNFCCC delegates, the Green Zone will be open to the public, subject to them applying for and receiving a day pass via the website, cop28.com.

Aimed at those either interested in sustainability-focused businesses or general activities centred on climate change, COP28’s Green Zone will host a diverse programme, ranging from workshops, debates, a themed musical, and a start-up hub.

“This is the first time in the history of COP events where the Green Zone is adjacent to the Blues Zone,” said Hend AlMheiri, Director of Special Projects, Expo City Technology at Expo City Dubai. “[This represents] a message of inclusivity and our aspiration to open the dialogue between the two different zones, which includes different guest groups, such as school children and university students, as well as world leaders.”

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS

Amongst the Green Zone events will be those tailored to the UAE and the wider business community, including the launch of the Expo City Dubai Pavilion especially for COP28.

“The reason why we decided to host an Expo City Dubai Pavilion was because not everybody who’s going to come to COP knows the story of Expo City Dubai,” explained Nadia Verjee, Executive Director of Expo Dubai Group. “That journey through Expo will deep dive into the different areas of what Expo City Dubai is about [such as] the residential and what it takes to set up a business.”

She continued: “[We will take visitors] a little bit into the future of what our global ambition is; being in the centre of a sustainability ecosystem that’s attracting everyone along the value chain, and really making this a place that generates value and ideas and contributes to the biggest challenges of our time.”

The Expo City Pavilion will play host to an ‘Expo Live Climate Start-ups in Action’ series on 4-6 at 8-10 December, featuring 19 start-ups and entrepreneurs from around the world – including three from the MENA – who have “demonstrated the creativity and innovation to address climate change”, organisers said.

These businesses offer solutions to a range of problems, such as unlocking carbon credits, protecting wildlife, food security and alternative waste solutions.

(Reporting by Rachel McArthur, editing by Bindu Rai bindu.rai@lseg.com)