Alba Cela- Editor
‘Scheherazade’s 1001 nights’ met Virtual Reality in a show jam-packed with astonishing visuals and exquisite music for the kick off spectacle for the Dubai Expo 2020.
For 90 captivating minutes, tens of thousands of viewers logged online and at least s many on TV screens watched as the United Arab Emirates put on one of the most amazing opening ceremonies for the Expo 2020. Organized in the year of their Golden Jubilee, the ceremony was a world scale nod to normality after the pandemics.
For the first time more than 190 states and nations are represented with different size pavilions in the expo, some of which will remain even after the exhibition runs its course as a legacy. The multicolor flags waved in the ceremony reminiscent of the Olympics marked indeed a world record in the two hundred eras of history of such large scale expos.
The visuals in the majestic Al Wasl Dome were outwardly, with technology of light that surpassed all what we have seen prior. The selected singers and performers brought a multicultural joy through inspiring music in several languages. Chinese pianist Lang Lang was a solid highlight followed by the Italian tenor Borelli whose closing aria under a scintillating tree wrapped up the ceremony in style.
The punctuation of performances with the fireworks display was really well done avoiding the overwhelming that often occurs when fireworks steal the show from other elements.
Harmony and flow, the story of genesis and creation, respect and wonder at nature, at the oceans and flowers and clouds were the themes carefully selected to unite all people and implicitly inspire them to protect our planet. The narrative voice of innocence of children was like a magic thread pulling the entire ceremony together.
This was a strategic moment for the Emirates. In his opening speech, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, the UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020, mentioned the past dreams of the founding father of the nation and how the fulfillment of these visions is now a source or pride, gratitude and strength. Indeed he Expo 2020 logo is inspired by a golden ring that represents ancient civilizations connected to the UAE. This cultural gathering is another affirmation that the UAE will always be a hub that gathers civilizations and aspires for innovation.
One is right to think that only a government with a very strong vision for the future can have a dedicated Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
Dubai Expo 2020 will run until March of 2022 and the infrastructure built specifically to sustain it is impressive. A dedicated metro line will enable visitors to skip the traffic and head right into the heart of the pavilions where innovation, ecology and are the pervasive topics addressed by many states in various art forms and with the help of technological advancements.
In honor of this event, Emirates Airline unveiled a special Expo 2020-theme livery ahead of the start of the world fair so you can arrive ready and in style.
