UAE Pavilion: experience a "sand dune tour" to the Middle East

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) possesses the world's largest desert complex, which is known as a "blank place." At next year's Expo, the United Arab Emirates' Pavilion will display a fluid "sand dune" in Shanghai, fulfilling people's dream of "living" on the sand dune through the centuries. Visitors will be allowed to "enter the deepest regions of the UAE's mysterious desert and enter the world’s tallest building—the Burj Dubai."

"Desert Oasis" will be moved to Shanghai

The United Arab Emirates' Pavilion, which covers an area of 6,000 square meters, is located next to the Chinese Pavilion and will be the largest foreign pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The inspiration for the gold-colored outer covering of the pavilion comes from the UAE's majestic natural landscape—the sand dunes.

Peter Vine, the UAE’s Expo team coordinator, explained that the dune-shaped design represents the UAE's culture. It not only looks beautiful but also shows the history of the UAE’s development. "The sand dune is composed of little grains of sand flowing continuously, meaning that the desert country is searching for harmony between building and construction, and the natural environment."

The UAE has hot weather and lacks sufficient water supplies, yet it owns the world's most beautiful public gardens, the desert oasis. Its unique landscape will also be taken to Shanghai. Walking into the pavilion's "sand dune," visitors will see clear brooks, cool woods and luxurious buildings, rather than an endless "desert," making people forget that this is a desert country.

After the Expo, the pavilion will be moved to the UAE

The pavilion uses mostly environmentally friendly building materials that are recyclable. After the Expo, it will be taken apart and shipped back to the UAE where it will be reassembled again.

Vine said that after being moved back to UAE, the pavilion will serve as important evidence of the fact that the country’s participation in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and will also serve as a location for certain social functions. "It may become the cultural center of the UAE."

The pavilion will open on September 27, 2010 and there will be a unique folk dance performance and a range of music and color demonstrations will be held.