ENOC marks ground-breaking of its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

ENOC Group, the Official Integrated Energy Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, on Sunday marked the ground-breaking of its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion, located near the UAE pavilion and between the Sustainability and Opportunity Districts.

Under the theme of ‘Reimagine Energy’, the pavilion will be split across five distinct pavilion structures or ‘houses’ inspired by traditional oil storage tanks drawing inspiration from ENOC’s heritage. Collectively, these houses explore humankind’s relationship with energy from the beginning of time in an immersive, multi-format experience for visitors of all ages.

Through a unique architectural approach and a myriad of sensory experiences including juxtaposition, audio-visual narratives and interactive projections, the pavilion is modelled to challenge typical ideas of ‘energy’ while facilitating a conversation around the evolution of the sector.

At a special ceremony held at the Expo 2020 site, Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group Chief Executive Officer of ENOC, officiated the ground-breaking of the ENOC pavilion in the presence of Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Expo 2020 Dubai.

Saif Humaid said, “’Reimagine Energy’, as a theme, will guide all of ENOC’s activity at Expo 2020, including environmental design and build. Across every touchpoint, we will focus on using sustainable materials and leverage advanced technologies that reduce our ecological footprint. We are partnering with world-class experts to ensure our pavilion gives visitors an unforgettable experience and we will make sure this is done with sustainable design considerations in mind.”

Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali said: “Expo 2020 will invite millions of visitors from around the world and inspire them to create a better future for our planet. ENOC, through its pavilion, will help them understand how the business of energy affects us all. With new insights into the opportunities open to us, we’re looking forward to sharing with the world how collaboration can shape the future of sustainable energy.” Scheduled for completion in July 2020, the pavilion is executed by a team of expert professionals with Jack Morton as Lead Designer and Project Management Consultant; Cundall as Engineering Consultant; ALEC, as general contractor; and SRP as Executive Architect.

The pavilion will be built on steel foundations to minimise use of concrete, which will reduce excavation works and environmental impact across the supply chain and during construction as well as facilitate future legacy programmes.

The pavilion’s steel structures will be clad with curved aluminium sheets, featuring raw uncoated and powder coated smooth and perforated finishes. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, there are several other benefits to the use of aluminium as it is recyclable, and its light weight minimises the weight of steel needed for the superstructure.

Four of the pavilion houses will be open to visitors at all times, with four distinct ‘chapters’ exploring energy through the lens of: Discover - what energy is; Harness - what energy enables; Collaborate - what energy needs; and Reimagine - what energy promises. A fifth structure, ‘The Hive’, will be a dedicated, multi-functional space for government and industry stakeholders to collaborate in finding solutions to the industry’s unanswered questions.

‘Reimagine Energy’ will offer a multi-sensory experience using ultra-haptic technology, moving image, kinetic installation and interactive projection to allow visitors to ‘feel’ and interact with energy throughout. The flooring of kinetic play areas will be made of recycled rubber while the condensation from air-conditioning will be harvested for landscape irrigation.

Once-in-a-lifetime celebration in Dubai – the largest event ever staged in the Arab world – is set to welcome close to 200 participating countries, and millions of visitors from across the globe. The participants including exhibitors and visitors will experience warm Emirati hospitality at its finest, as well as the UAE’s values of inclusion, tolerance and cooperation. Youth are at the heart of Dubai’s World Expo. That’s why the Expo 2020 aspires to create a meaningful legacy that will benefit generations to come, both locally and globally, spanning everything from innovations and architecture to friendships and business opportunities.

ENOC Group (Emirates National Oil Company) is a leading integrated oil and gas player operating across the energy sector value chain. As a wholly owned entity of the Government of Dubai, and integral to the Emirate’s success, ENOC owns and operates assets in the fields of exploration & production, supply & operations, terminals, fuel retail, aviation fuel and petroleum products for commercial & industrial use. The Group’s general business operations includes automotive services, non-fuel F&B retail and fabrication services. Servicing thousands of customers in over 60 markets, the Group employs a multi-national workforce of over 11,000 employees and is deploying its world-class customer service, latest innovations and technologies and best practices to empower the UAE’s social and economic development.