With memories of the 2015 edition we hosted “at home” in Milan still fresh in our minds, thoughts now turn to the next Expo. Held every five years, the world-wide exhibition attracts millions of visitors in-situ plus an inestimable number of digital “visitors” through the event’s impressive digital platform.

Expo 2020 Dubai was due to take place in the second half of 2020, but the coronavirus emergency meant it was postponed to 1^st October 2021. The news was first published on the official Expo website on 4^th May 2020.

Despite the fact that, predictably, the vaccine rollout is not going as quickly and smoothly in every country, we are now just seven months away from Expo’s start date. The organisations involved have started to warm up their engines, conscious that the event really will take place this time in one form or another.

The signs are promising, however, if we look at public and private investment in this edition of the World Expo and its many innovations, including significant logistical and organisational challenges. It is the first Expo to be held in a Middle Eastern country, requiring an overhaul of many of the event’s mechanisms.

In terms of linguistics, what interests us most is the framework of Expo 2020’s digital ecosystem, based on an official webpage in six languages as well as Arabic, of course:

• English
• Spanish
• French
• German
• Russian
• Chinese.

We know only too well how difficult it is for businesses organising an event on this scale to find, hire and work with the right communication translation partners. But Dubai 2020 is showing us how it can be done.

It is further proof of a particularly vital aspect of translation, one we often stress to our customers: the importance of planning. Suffice it to say that the organisers of Dubai 2020 had already laid the foundations for the event before Milano 2015 had even opened.

In terms of economics as well as language and culture, the next World Expo could prove to be the icing on the cake for the United Arab Emirates and Dubai in particular. For years now the Emirates have been promoting their key role in connecting individuals and businesses scattered around the world, both internally and as global transport hub.

The managing director of Expo 2020, Reem Al Hashimi, has substantiated the trend with concrete figures: “China and India, our main trading partners, and commerce with Africa have increased 600% since 2000. We are building new trading relations with Latin America, adding to our existing ones with over 220 countries. The United Arab Emirates also embraces more than 200 nationalities and cultures.”

All in all, a success story that shows the importance of being active and proactive on the world stage, qualities we hope Italian companies will quickly take on board. At Arkadia we work alongside Italian professionals, striving every day to be their best partner in managing their physical and online presence in various languages.