Dubai Expo 2020

The highlight of my Dubai trip was the 2020 Expo. I attended the Dubai Expo 2020 in October 2021 and what an awesome experience. Over 100 counties had exhibits displaying their latest advances in technology and offered some history about their country. Some were more impressive than others but they all offered an opportunity to taste their local cuisine - for a cost of course. As you exit the exhibit they have a cafe/restaurant as well as an opportunity to grab souvenirs 😊.

The expo is a great way to visit different counties all in one place. Until my visit I had not heard of it. Apparently the expo was to be held last year but because of the covid-19 pandemic it was postponed till this year. In fact one of the prerequisite to enter the expo is having proof of vaccination or a negative covid test result. 

Lucky for me, the expo coincided with my trip. 3 exhibits into it I became aware of the passport stamping process. I offered my own USA passport at one exhibit but was informed there was a yellow passport offered for sale at the gift shop for expo exhibit stamping. So I retreated to locate the gift shop. I bought passport books for myself and my 3 companions. Then it was off to the exhibits where we  received a stamp for each county exhibit we visited - had to back track to Chili, Iran, and Thailand as these were the first 3 exhibits we saw before becoming aware that there was a passport book or for that matter an Expo booklet outlining exhibits and other useful information. Apparently we started at the end by turning right instead of left when we entered the pavilion. 

As you can see by the Expo site map, it was a huge area to cover. We spent 2 days here but did not get to visit all the exhibits. We visited over 20 county exhibits including the USA. I was not particularly impressed with the USA exhibit. They presented some background history that practically every 5th grader knows and some vague info on the Mars project including an opportunity to touch a piece of rock. There was also a display of a model of the Mars rover. Well okay maybe that part was okay 😊. However if I was in charge of the exhibit I would have started off with a video highlighting the major cities. Video would be zooming in on the Statue of Liberty in New York with some dynamic music playing and James Earl Jones voice describing how America is a melting pot, then move on to Miami, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Atlanta. Then the Mars project could bring up the rear. But what do I know?? All I know is after seeing the other countries exhibit, the USA could have been better. But hey, at least they were represented unlike the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico which were noticeably absent. Even Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent, and Dominica where represented. Nevertheless, the overall representation by the counties that participated was an experience to be had. There were live performances and events sprinkled in for good measure. Ticket was affordable and you can choose a one-day pass or a month pass. Both offered for the same price. I recommended getting the month pass as it takes more than one day to see it all.

Before my trip to Dubai I heard so many negative reviews from different people, some of whom never visited the country. None of it was my experience. In fact, the opposite was my experience. For me, it's a good idea to travel and visit other counties to experience their culture and sample their foods for myself. Nothing satisfies curiosity like first hand experience.  I'm just saying, I got issues. What about you?)i(