Washington, DC - Today, the Department published a Request for Proposal in the Federal Register (#2018-03116) for the fundraising, project management, design, construction, operation, and disassembly and removal of a USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Expo 2020 Dubai, which will take place October 20, 2020 – April 10, 2021 and coincide with the UAE’s 50th founding anniversary, will be the first Expo (also known as a World’s Fair) to take place in the Middle East, North Africa, or South Asia. It is expected to attract 25 million visitors from the region and around the world. The UAE is the largest export market for U.S. goods and services in the Middle East.

On October 19, 2017, the Secretary informed the UAE Government of the United States’ intention to participate with an official USA Pavilion, contingent upon identification of a viable private sector partner and successful fundraising efforts.

The theme of Expo 2020 Dubai is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, representing the potential of what can be achieved when meaningful collaborations and partnerships are forged. The Expo’s subthemes are Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability. The USA Pavilion would emphasize the “Mobility” sub-theme, and the pavilion’s architecture and interior design should communicate American progress, ingenuity, and innovation in social, physical, and mechanical mobility in commerce and the arts.

Over the next two months, the Department’s Expo Unit will hold a series of virtual and in-person information sessions on U.S. participation in Expo 2020 Dubai in Washington, New York, Detroit, San Francisco, and Houston.