“You ‌ get the

“You ‌ get the feeling that the impossible is being made real” It’s showtime What do televisions have in common with the Eiffel Tower? They both debuted at a World Expo, as have many other famous creations over the past 150 years since the first such event in London. In 2021, it is Dubai’s turn to host the quadrennial event – the first ever to be held in a Middle Eastern, African or South Asian territory. With a theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Dubai Expo will run from October 2021 to March 2022, with 25 million visitors predicted to enjoy a kaleidoscope of activities, exhibitions and events celebrating humanity’s strength, unity and solidarity. Years in the making and boasting avant-garde design as seen in the image below, this typically monumental (and, at some £7bn, colossally expensive) undertaking is being billed as ‘the world’s greatest show’. For more information, visit: expo2020dubai.com POWER TOWER Dubai’s glittering skyline has risen out of the desert in mere decades As the sun starts to set, we make the most of the Range Rover’s comforting seats for the journey back into the city. The next day, we immerse ourselves in the Dubai of the now. We take in the majesty of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai, and cruise round the Design District, home to Dubai’s burgeoning design community. Here the roundabouts and small park areas are studded with bright sculptures that celebrate the best of international design brought to the city. This move is part of a trend. Known for its conspicuous wealth and unabashed consumption, in recent years Dubai has been striving to generate a new narrative for itself. It’s seen an opportunity to embrace a more discreet, ethical mode of luxury living. Today, architects and interior designers in the region are increasingly opting for recycled materials in their designs. Support for the arts is part of this new narrative. The city has developed a thriving hub of art galleries and exhibition spaces in Alserkal Avenue, promoting art from across the Middle East, and hosts an annual art fair. It’s all part of a shift from beaches, skyscrapers and mall culture towards something that carries itself more lightly on the planet. Before us now is The Dubai Frame, the stunning new city landmark set back from the skyscrapers of the city centre. Rising 150m into the air, the building is two towers with a viewing platform between them, all covered in the golden circles that are the symbol of the Dubai Expo 2020. The structure is positioned to frame old and new Dubai. Look one way and it frames the older parts of the city. Look through the other side and Dubai’s skyscrapers can be seen rising towards the sun. In this way, the Dubai Frame is a kind of portal, almost a time machine, linking the city’s past and future. Take the lift to the top and the scene is one your brain struggles to process. From here, Dubai looks more fantastical than ever, a city from the future transported into the present day through the magic of some movie trickery. Staring at the blades of glass scything up from the sand dunes, you get the feeling that anything could happen here, that the impossible is being made real and that new possibilities are just beginning to be dreamed of. 62 63