Dubai unveils new Expo 2020 logo

The design is inspired by an archeological find

Dubai unveiled a new logo for the Expo 2020 event yesterday evening in a ceremony attended by UAE vice president and prime minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The new logo was inspired by an artefact found at the Saroug Al Hadeed archeological site, according to UAE minister of state for international cooperation and Expo 2020 Bureau director general Reem Al Hashemi.

The object was tiny, very detailed and made of pure hold, with small artistic designs around it, she said.

It was projected onto the side of the Burj Khalifa to the cheers of the crowds.

“We have chosen an authentic Emirati logo for Dubai Expo 2020,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “The design of the logo is inspired by a civilisation that existed 4,000 years ago in an area extending from Baynounah in Abu Dhabi to Saroug Al Hadeed in Dubai and from Maliha Valley in Sharjah to the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. This land connected ancient civilisations and we will continue to be a hub that connects the world.”

He added that the new logo represented Dubai’s message to the world that Emirati civilisation has deep roots and the UAE is a centre for innovation.

“Over 4,000 years ago, the people who lived in this land had a deep creative spirit and today the people of this country are building the nation’s future for centuries to come,” he added.

Al Hashemi said the circular shape inspired connectivity, resilience and strength.

The unveiling followed a competition launched last year to create the official logo for Expo 2020. The 19,000 entrants were expected to create a design reflecting the expo theme of ‘connecting minds, creating the future’,

The Expo 2020 Dubai High Committee created a shortlist of finalists, the top three of which were awarded last night by Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

They were Mohamed Souheil Bin Ali, a graphic designer and architect from Tunisia, Mouza Al Mansouri, a corporate communications professional from the UAE and Valeri IInitki, a computer graphics artist from Moldova.

The Expo 2020 event will run from October 2020 to April 2021. It is expected to attract 25 million visitors to the Dubai Trade Centre site near Jebel Ali.

Al Hashemi said construction of the site is expected to start in July in 2016. It will be completed by 2019.

Copenhagen-based Bjarke Ingels Group and two London-based firms, Foster + Partners and Grimshaw Architects, won the architectural competition to design the theme for the Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability pavilions respectively.