World Expo 2020

**UPDATE: On November 27, the BIE announced that the United Arab Emirates has been elected as the host country of the World Expo 2020**

WORLD EXPO 2020
Four cities are currently in the running to host the 2020 World Expo: Dubai, UAE; Ekaterinburg, Russia; Izmir, Turkey; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. On November 27, the Bureau International des Expositions will have a meeting of its general assembly to determine the winner.

Each city came up with their own proposed theme and objectives for the Expo; read on to find out more.

DUBAI, UAE
If chosen, Dubai 2020 would be the first World Expo to take place in the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia) region. With a proposed theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” planners envision an opportunity for participants to share ideas and technologies on three subthemes: sustainability, mobility, and opportunity.

The goal is to facilitate global connection and collectivity:

By connecting people, which lies at the heart of the UAE’s vision as a cosmopolitan nation, greater cooperation and understanding between peoples and cultures can be fostered. By connecting minds, our common aspirations are celebrated and together we can work to create a brighter future.

EKATERINBURG, RUSSIA
Ekaterinburg is Russia’s fourth largest city, located roughly 1000 miles east of Moscow. The city lies on the border of Europe and Asia, and serves as a major transport hub between the two continents. If chosen, Ekaterinburg’s will be the second largest site in World Expo history, after Shanghai 2010.

The city’s proposed theme is “The Global Mind”:

[This theme] will survey world opinion through seven universal questions with the goal of communicating the values, hopes, dreams and aspirations of people from every culture and nation across the world in a single discussion…The concept will be to take the theme of urban sustainability, which has been at the heart of recent Expos, and bring it to the global stage.

IZMIR, TURKEY
Izmir lies in the Aegean region of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, at the border of Asia and Europe. The proposed theme, “New Routes to a Better World/ Health for All,” reflects the region’s historical interest in healthcare, dating back to ancient times. Izmir 2020 would incorporate “scientific, social, and ecological approaches” to public health and quality of life issues. Expo planners explain that their objective is “to provide a meeting place for all mankind in harmony with all regions and cultures, and help to establish the basis for a better and healthier world.”

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
Sao Paulo is the ninth most populous city in the world. Home to a diverse population of more than 70 ethnic and religious communities, the city’s bid to host Expo 2020 is an attempt to “consolidate its leadership role in the internationalization of the Brazilian economy and to become a continental crossroad for people and trade,” according to planners.

Sao Paulo’s proposed theme is “Power of Diversity, Harmony for Growth,” envisioned as a showcase for participating countries and cities to share their most innovative policies, programs, and technologies, with a focus on environmental sustainability. With an eye toward “the future of a world without borders,” planners for Sao Paulo 2020 hope to create an “historic educational, cultural and political legacy to benefit the international community.”

Photo credits:

Brazil by “Jorge in Brazil” via Flickr.

UAE by mikecogh via Flickr.

Turkey by Kema Keur via Flickr.