How can Arab culture help unite the world?

The New Reality
The Arab world is ready to play a progressive role on the world stage

World Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai – the first time that the Expo has been staged in the Middle East. The first World Expo was the Great Exhibition in 1851, which helped highlight Britain’s place as the engine of the industrialized world, while celebrating humanity’s achievement at a time of enormous change. World Expo 2020 will provide a similar platform for Dubai, allowing the region to assume a role on the world stage at a time when social, economic and technological change is arguably happening faster than ever.

The Insight
Dubai has become a cauldron of culture and progress

Dubai is a unique city whose sense of bold optimism, unbridled ambition and manifest achievement reflect many of the themes of the post-industrial world: the cultural diversity and connectedness of our era, our belief in progress and sustainability and, not least, the confidence that anything is possible. Dubai has become a crucible of trade, of tourism, of culture – and also of human hope and potential.

The Idea
Connecting minds, creating the future

Dubai’s original Arabic name – Al Wasl – means ‘the connection’, reflecting its history as a place where cultures came together to trade. Similarly, the Expo will be an opportunity for Dubai to become a cultural hub, helping the global community forge new partnerships and find new solutions to today’s challenges.

We launched our campaign by working closely with artists from all over the world to bring to life their vision of the world we were looking to create. These illustrations became part of a nationwide roadshow where they adorned a series of sculptures, educating people about the Expo and ultimately coming together in Dubai to reveal the identity of the Expo itself.

Related content

Want to find out more?

This project began with a quick chat over coffee. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more – or just to discuss what we could do for you.

Get in touch