Drone Video Shows Progress On The Dubai Expo 2020 Site
Dubai is a hub of business, a popular tourist destination, and the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. But especially here in the States, it’s best known for one thing in particular: massive construction projects. Whether it’s the largest building in the world or the man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago, these large-scale and seemingly impossible endeavors are the most visible indicators of everything that makes Dubai the most technologically innovative city in the world.
Five years ago, Dubai won the bid to host the 2020 World Expo, an international exposition that will showcase the economic, social, and technological innovations of over 170 nations, including the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Chile, and Nigeria (as well as, of course, the hosting UAE.) Expo 2020 will begin in October of the titular year and will end in April 2021. It’s expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from around the world to the city.
That means yet another massive construction project that’s set to begin this year, following the finalization of a $84,600,000 contract to Arabtec Construction. And as preparations begin, the organisers of the Expo have released some striking new drone footage showing construction on the three sites involved:
Dubai has long been a city that has embraced UAV technology – indeed, it remains one of the few regions to have a proper drone charging infrastructure that could allow for deliveries and (the city hopes) the first unmanned flying taxi. And since construction is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the drone market, it makes sense that the blueprints for the structures would be visualized not as 2D designs on paper, but overlaid over aerial footage of the sites themselves.
By the way, what you’re looking at in the video are the three large pavilions which will host the expo, spread out over 4.38 square kilometers of space. Each one is based on a sub-theme – Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability – which tie into the Expo’s overall theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”
Why are we reporting on this here at Dronethusiast? Well, for one thing, we’re suckers for beautiful drone footage whenever and wherever we come across it. But more significantly, this is going to be one of the highest-profile construction projects ever undertaken in one of the highest-profile cities on the entire planet, which also happens to be one of the most drone-friendly.
If they choose to integrate UAVs into every aspect of the construction, just like they have here with the blueprints, it could work wonders to start changing the minds of the many, many people in the Western world who are still skeptical about drone technology. It could show other countries the necessity of embracing unmanned aerial vehicles and constructing the kind of large-scale drone infrastructure that Dubai has already implemented, which (as we’ve written about in past newsletters) is the next necessary step for major innovations in drone technology.
Or, maybe we’re completely off-base, and the pretty video is just a pretty video. What do you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
