Expo 2020 Dubai a playground for adventure-seeking families

Inayat-Ur-Rahman, Business Editor

Expo 2020 Dubai will open up a whole new, immersive world for families - a magical place that merges the fantasy of a vivid imagination with the reality of a world that needs everyone’s help, where children will encounter breakthrough new discoveries, explore the world’s ecosystems and learn important lessons about our planet and humanity.

Magical mascot shows, featuring siblings Rashid and Latifa, will welcome families to join in singalongs, dance-offs and theatrical productions that share a special message of uniting to overcome adversity, and the role that each of us can play in making that possible.

Instrumental life lessons will be taught in a uniquely entertaining way - from the Mascot Immersive Show at Al Wasl Plaza that invites children to help Rashid and Latifa battle against their evil arch-nemesis Mr Scrap; to the Mascot Interactive Experience that propels visitors into a new dimension, with interactive booths to create your own avatar to be projected onto Al Wasl’s canvas; and Mister Scrap’s Scrapyard Idol at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre - a daily music, dance and story show, with Mr Scrap trying to defeat our heroes.
Rashid’s Playground in Jubilee Park is an ocean-themed adventure inspired by Rashid’s imagination and underwater exploits. Highlights include sharks on springs, whale slides, ocean liners and an interactive 3D maze modelled on one of our local waters’ most surprising inhabitants: the humpback whale.

For more green space, families can head to Al Forsan Park’s huge lawn. With its interlaced network of paths, the park offers a rich mosaic of opportunities for cultural interaction and recreation, including Latifa’s Adventures in Space City, where kids can bounce over nets in the ‘zero-gravity’ chamber, leap into orbit around swings and hop aboard a replica of the UAE’s Hope Probe.

Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Expo 2020 is a captivating place for families to connect while discovering new cultures, technologies and life-changing innovations. With inspirational exploratory exhibits where children will want to explore, play is encouraged, with learning becoming a product of their experiences. Expo will open up a world of exciting, entertaining and educational experiences to millions of children, and is great value too, with children under 18 entering free of charge.”

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Hop aboard the Expo Explorer, a train with a difference that takes passengers on a sight-seeing journey while experiencing the sustainable future of transport. The Explorer may look like a classic locomotive, but it runs on compressed air, making it pollution-free.

Visit one of the 191 Country Pavilions with a family-friendly focus, such as the Luxembourg Pavilion, which sports a 21-metre-tall slide to whisk visitors down into a green, woody space that evokes the country’s beautiful forests. At the Ethiopia Pavilion, try your hand at traditional board and playground games, and see folktales brought to life at the Guinea Pavilion. Experience an innovative playground that converts kids’ kinetic energy into light at the Bulgaria Pavilion, fostering imagination and creative play, and drop by the Tonga Pavilion, where Lafi and his best friend Kaho the whale chaperone visitors through an incredible enchanted forest. Kids of all ages will love Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion, a playful experience that brings to life the UAE and Expo 2020’s commitment to sustainability, acting as a catalyst for change. Taking visitors through the wonders of the natural world, Terra is designed to change mindsets and encourage people to break the cycle of consumerism and will live on as a Science Centre after Expo closes its doors, inspiring sustainable choices for generations to come.
Photo used for illustrative purpose.

Families won’t leave hungry, with more than 200 food and beverage outlets across Expo. The Food Truck Parks in every district cater especially well to families, serving up delicious grab-and-go fare - from pizza, hot dogs and Lebanese snacks to ice cream, waffles, mini pancakes and more - in casual outdoor venues.

One day at Expo will not be enough to experience all that is on offer. A Family Package, priced at Dhs 950 ($258), is valid for unlimited entries for the entire six months of Expo 2020, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. It includes unlimited access for two parents plus a nanny, (under-18s are free) with additional benefits on food and beverage, a 25 per cent discount on five additional tickets, and an advance purchase photography voucher worth Dhs 125 to eternalise magical memories.

Enjoy three, six or 12 month zero per cent installments on purchases of Dhs 500 and above with Emirates NBD Credit Cards. Simply call 600 54 0000.

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will welcome visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to reimagine tomorrow.

With the purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 will be the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges
An aerial view of the Expo 2020 site.

Expo 2020 will be the biggest cultural gathering in the world, presenting a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever

Expo 2020’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone For six months, Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to age 18.

Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts

Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South.