Expo City Dubai is a mixed-use city district in Dubai South, built on the site of Expo 2020 Dubai. After the world fair closed, the site was kept and turned into a permanent district of parks, attractions, offices and homes, and it is now run as Expo City Dubai. It sits in the south-west of Dubai, beside Al Maktoum International Airport and the Dubai South area, and it is the end of the Dubai Metro's Route 2020 branch.
Most people searching "expo city dubai" want one of three things: to visit, to work there, or to buy or rent a home. This guide covers all three. The district is organised into named zones: Expo Downtown, Expo Business, Expo Hills, Expo Valley and Expo Fields, according to Expo City Dubai's own website, with the attractions grouped in districts named Sustainability, Jubilee and Opportunity.
Expo City Dubai is in Dubai South, near the Jebel Ali end of the city and next to Al Maktoum International Airport. It is a considerable distance from Downtown Dubai and the Marina, so plan on a longer drive or a metro journey than you would from the central districts.
The Roads and Transport Authority describes Route 2020 as a 15 km extension of the Red Line, running from Jebel Ali Metro Station to Expo 2020 Station, with seven stations in total. Jebel Ali is the interchange with the Red Line, and Expo 2020 Station is the terminus that serves Expo City Dubai. Check rta.ae for the current timetable and journey times.
The district is reached from the main Dubai South road network. Drivers should allow time at peak hours and use a navigation app for the entrance that matches the attraction or venue.
Expo City Dubai's official site lists the following attractions and public spaces. Opening times and ticket prices change, so check expocitydubai.com before you travel.
Al Wasl Plaza: the central plaza of the former Expo, under a steel dome 67.5 metres high that houses what the site describes as the largest 360-degree projection surface in the world. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of Expo 2020.
Terra: the Sustainability Pavilion, a LEED certified building designed to be net zero in energy and water, with guided journeys called Under the Ocean and Under the Forest.
Alif: the Mobility Pavilion, which tells the story of how movement has shaped human progress.
Vision Dubai: traces the transformation of Dubai into a modern city.
Surreal: a water, fire and music display in the Jubilee District.
House of Arts and Cinema Akil: an arts space and a cinema in Unity Quarter B.
Expo City Mosque: on Horizon Avenue.
Jubilee Park in the Jubilee District.
Rashid's Adventures Playground in Wadi Avenue.
Taqa Island and the Adventurous Octopus Playground in the Sustainability District.
The official site names restaurants including YUAN, Choy restaurant and lounge, Brasserie by McGettigan's and TEN11. For the wider choice of restaurants across the city, use Visit Dubai at visitdubai.com.
Expo City Dubai runs flagship event venues, the Connect Conference Centre (C3) and Nexus, and it has Expo Free Zone, which offers business setup and workspaces, and the Future Forward Business Hub. The district also hosts a Women's Pavilion initiative and community programmes listed on its site.
Dubai won the right to host Expo 2020 in 2013. The fair ran from October 2021 to March 2022 after a one-year delay, and the site was designed from the start to be reused as a permanent district. Expo City Dubai opened to the public in October 2022 and today combines the surviving pavilions, offices, parks and new residential projects. The idea of building a lasting city on a world-fair site, rather than demolishing it, is what makes the district different from any other community in Dubai.
Expo City Dubai is not only a visitor destination. Its official site lists Expo Business as one of its districts, together with Expo Free Zone, which offers business setup, workspaces and coworking, and the Future Forward Business Hub. The Connect Conference Centre (C3) and Nexus host conferences and events. For employees, living in the district or in nearby Dubai South can shorten the commute considerably, and the metro terminus gives a car-free link to the Red Line at Jebel Ali.
Check expocitydubai.com for the programme, as some attractions are ticketed and some public spaces such as Al Wasl Plaza and Surreal are free to enter.
Allow a full half day. The district is spread out and the pavilions are some distance apart, so comfortable shoes matter in summer heat as much as in winter.
Visit in the cooler months for the outdoor parks and playgrounds, and treat summer as a time for the indoor pavilions.
If you are using the metro, plan your return in advance with the RTA journey planner at rta.ae.
Most Dubai communities start as a plot plan and add attractions later. Expo City Dubai started as a world fair, so its public realm, pavilions and event infrastructure were built first and the homes followed. That gives it parks, a central plaza, cultural venues and a metro terminus that newer residential districts often lack, but it also means the residential side is still maturing. For buyers the day-to-day feel depends on how the district fills in; for visitors it is one of the few places in Dubai where the architecture itself is the attraction.
Expo City Dubai is a planned, walkable district with a strong focus on sustainability, public space and technology. It is a destination for people who work in the district or nearby Dubai South, and for buyers who want a new, master-planned address connected to the metro and close to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Expo City's website lists the residential projects Expo Valley Views, Al Waha Residences, Sidr Residences, Maha Villas, Yasmina Villas, Shamsa Townhouses, Sky Residences and Mangrove Residences. Our live pages cover several of them:
Expo Valley: the villa and plot district. Our Expo City Dubai off-plan page lists Expo Valley Plots.
Mangrove Residences: a residential project in the district.
Sky Residences, Al Waha, Sidr Residences and Shamsa 2: off-plan releases by Expo City.
Terra Heights: Emaar's project in the district.
The developer behind the district has its own page on our site: see Expo City as a developer.
Professionals who work at Expo City Dubai, Dubai South or the airport.
Buyers who want a master-planned, low-traffic district with parks and public art.
Residents who are comfortable being further from the beach and the central business districts.
The district is still being built, so check what is complete around the home you are considering, the handover date and the service charge. A visit on a weekday and a weekend will show you how it feels when no event is on.
As of November 2026, our live pages show 6 off-plan projects currently selling in Expo City Dubai, from AED 1,400,000.
| Project | Developer | From (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Terra Heights | Emaar Properties | AED 1,400,000 |
| Sky Residences | Expo City | AED 3,250,000 |
| Al Waha | Expo City | AED 3,491,000 |
| Sidr Residences | Expo City | AED 3,675,000 |
| Shamsa 2 | Expo City | AED 4,250,000 |
| Expo Valley Plots | Expo City | AED 11,525,000 |
"From" prices usually describe the smallest or entry unit in a project, so the price of the home you want will differ. You can see apartments for sale in Expo City Dubai on our search page and read the guide to off-plan in Emaar South and Expo City. Foreign nationals can buy in Dubai's designated freehold areas; our Dubai Land Department fees guide sets out the transfer costs.
Confirm the project is registered and the payment is made into an escrow account.
Read the payment plan and the planned handover date.
Ask for the service charge estimate.
Check the exact plot, floor and view on the master plan.
Dubai South: the wider district around the airport that Expo City sits within, with several residential projects.
Emaar South: Emaar's residential community in Dubai South, next to the airport.
Dubai Investment Park: an established residential and industrial district on the same metro branch.
Expo City Dubai is a mixed-use district in Dubai South, built on the former Expo 2020 Dubai site. It combines attractions, parks, offices, event venues and residential projects.
In Dubai South, next to Al Maktoum International Airport, at the end of the Dubai Metro's Route 2020 branch.
Take the Dubai Metro to Jebel Ali and use Route 2020 to Expo 2020 Station. RTA describes Jebel Ali as the interchange. Check rta.ae for the current timetable.
Al Wasl Plaza, Terra, Alif, Vision Dubai, Surreal, House of Arts, Cinema Akil, Expo City Mosque and Jubilee Park are all listed on Expo City Dubai's official site.
Yes. Residential projects include Sky Residences, Al Waha, Sidr Residences, Shamsa and Expo Valley. See our Expo City Dubai off-plan page.
Expo City Dubai is built on the Expo 2020 Dubai site and keeps many of its landmarks, including Al Wasl Plaza and Terra, but it is now a permanent district rather than a world fair.
Foreign buyers can purchase the residential projects offered for sale here. Confirm the title type for the specific project in the sales documents and with the Dubai Land Department at dubailand.gov.ae.
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