News

UK to explore the future of sustainable living at Expo 2020 Dubai

•    ‘In the Future, How will we Live?’ to take place between 11-18th January
•    All content from UK at Expo 2020 Dubai events can be accessed through our new Online Pavilion which will be updated throughout the show

7 January 2022
 

How will advances in the way we think about energy and infrastructure deliver a sustainable quality of life? This is the central question being discussed by leading figures and companies from a range of sectors during ‘In the Future, How will we Live?’ hosted by the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai from 11-18th January, under the UK’s participation theme ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’. 

Included in the programme of events are a series of online sessions discussing how the latest innovations in renewable energy and smart city technology can drive solutions to the global challenges set to define a generation. Activities will also consider what a net zero future will look like. To attend the Summit sessions, please register online. 

Kicking off the week-long programme of activity is the World Majlis on Digital Twins and New Realities: Living and thriving with new realities. World Majlises build on long-established Emirati and Arab traditions, facilitating global dialogue by inspiring new perspectives with conversations that matter at Expo 2020 Dubai. Co-curated with Expo 2020 Dubai and hosted on the UK Pavilion as part of Travel and Connectivity Week, this forum will consider a future hybrid world consisting of digital and physical realities that can lead to breakthroughs that address our greatest challenges in sectors such as healthcare, education, retail and smart cities.

On 17 and 18 January, speakers in a series of online Summit panel discussions covering the biggest questions facing humanity include Rachel Skinner, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (2020/21) and Executive Director of Transport at WSP, who will chair a panel session on the logistics of a net zero world, and Dr Jacqui Taylor, CEO and Founder of FlyingBinary and Smart Cities Adviser to the UK Government. 

Tackling topics such as the sustainable use of water and food waste, the online summits will also feature Professor Nidal Hilal, Founding Director of the Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research, Swansea University & Director of NYUAD Water Research Centre, Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities at De Montfort University. 

The UK Pavilion will also host a showcase of models and images from UK at Expo 2020 Dubai Founding Partner De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) student prize-winning designs focused on sustainable living. 

Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner for Expo 2020 Dubai, says: “The latest projections estimate 68 per cent of the world will live in cities by 2050, putting a tremendous strain on global infrastructure, energy, housing, transport and the environment. The UK has a vital role to play in driving a sustainable future across the globe so I’m looking forward to seeing the ideas, innovations and potential solutions that will be discussed during these events.” 

Find out more about the UK’s programme at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Join the conversation at @UKPavilion2020 #Expo2020

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information on UK at Expo 2020 Dubai or to request interviews please contact:
Oli Higgs at Speed Communications on +44 (0)798 0816 170
expo2020dubai@speedcommunciations.com 

The UK at Expo 2020 Dubai

The UK is participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, taking place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. More than 200 participants, including 190-plus countries, are taking part in what will be the Arab world’s largest event. The overarching theme for Expo 2020 Dubai is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. Under the theme ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’, the UK’s participation will boost the country’s global reputation, drive future partnerships and provide long term economic benefit.

The UK’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai will be led by the Department for International Trade (DIT), with support from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Devolved Administrations. The UK’s presence will consist of a self-build country Pavilion, based in the ‘Opportunity’ District and an accompanying business, cultural, tourism and education events programme.