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New Expo City plan to drive Dubai’s economic growth

People, Person, Adult WAM
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai at the launch of new masterplan for Expo City Dubai

A new master plan has been released for Expo City Dubai, one of the five key urban centres set to double the emirate’s economy by 2033.

The new master plan will establish Expo City Dubai as a hub for pioneers, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, educators and students, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Spanning 3.5 sq km, Expo City Dubai will be home to more than 35,000 residents and 40,000 professionals. The city will also house the global headquarters of DP World and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC).

In September, the Dubai government approved an AED10 billion ($2.72 billion) expansion of the DEC at Expo City.

The master plan has five districts, organised into a grid system, with a smart transportation network and a network of green and blue spaces.

The design, however, retains the essence of Expo 2020 Dubai, the world fair which attracted 24 million visitors across six months between October 2021 and March 2022.

Key districts include Expo Hills in the north of the city, a low-density residential area. Expo Fields in the south comprises schools, sports fields, and open performance spaces.

Expo Business will offer a campus-like setting for innovative companies focused on sustainability and human progress, including Emirates Group’s Ebdaa aviation innovation hub.

Expo Downtown, anchored by the DEC and extending to the site’s eastern edge, will house the Al Wasl Dome, floating Terra Gardens and Terra Tower, a mixed-use high-end hospitality and office towers, respectively.

Connecting Expo City to Expo Valley, the Expo Forest will provide social, educational, and recreational spaces inspired by the Dubai 2040 urban master plan.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has already completed several infrastructure projects to support the city, including the 15-km Route 2020 extension of the Dubai Metro, 138 lane-km of new roads and nine flyovers.

The total cost and timeline for developing the new masterplan was not disclosed.