envisioned as a forest of date palm trees, UAE pavilion at expo 2025 osaka breaks ground

uae pavilion unites emirate heritage with japanese woodworking

The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has broken ground on Yumeshima Island, Japan. Under the Expo’s theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, the UAE Pavilion draws inspiration from Emirati heritage, using elements from agricultural waste, particularly palm gravel, combined with Japanese expertise in wooden construction. Reflected in the design, the team has sought to preserve and coexist with the environment in both its past and present, utilizing the natural resources at hand. This approach seeks to re-envision new methods and materials inspired by the nation’s traditions and culture, highlighting the importance of the past in enriching the present and future.

all images courtesy of The UAE Pavilion

the pavilion breaks ground at expo 2025 osaka

Located in the ‘Empowering Lives’ zone, echoing Expo 2025 Osaka’s sub-theme, the UAE Pavilion will participate as a Type A, self-built pavilion, making it one of the largest country pavilions on show. During the groundbreaking ceremony, the Ambassador of the UAE to Japan revealed that the UAE Pavilion will narrate meaningful stories of the past, present, and future. Its core design concept, evocative of the region’s natural landscape, is inspired by ancestral knowhow, whose values of conservation and coexistence with the environment shaped their mindful use of resources and preservation of the land.

The pavilion is further centred around the UAE’s ambitious efforts in innovation and research and development across healthcare, space exploration, and sustainable technologies. With this multidisciplinary ethos, it will also serve as a collaborative platform for co-creating solutions that drive collective progress.

shaped from elements from palm gravel from agricultural waste combined with Japanese wooden construction

On the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony, with the official handover of the plot by the Expo organizers, Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, commented: ‘We are honoured to mark this occasion at the remarkable Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan, where nations will come together to share the latest technologies, foster innovative ideas, and collaborate on solutions to address the global challenges facing humanity.’

the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has broken ground on Yumeshima Island, Japan