Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai

Finland was one of 192 nations participating in the first World Expo in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The theme of the Dubai Expo was "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future".

Trade, visibility, country image

The United Arab Emirates is Finland's second biggest export country in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia. Participation in the World Expo serves the Finland brand promotion and export promotion of Finnish companies not only in the Gulf and Middle East, but also in the Asian and East African markets and globally.

Participation in the World Expo strengthens Finland's bilateral relations, visibility and positive country image, promotes Finnish exports, internationalization and competitiveness in the Gulf region, and increases Finland's attractiveness for tourism and investments.

Partner companies and organizations

A large number of Finnish companies and organizations participated in the Expo2020 project; 68 companies and clusters, in total more than 100 company partners. Finnish companies gained significant visibility from participation in the World Expo.

Business Finland was responsible for the practical arrangements for the participation of Finnish exhibitors under the leadership of Commissioner General Mr. Severi Keinälä.

List of participants:

National Partners: KONE, Konecranes and Outotec
Key Partners: Wärtsilä, Fiskars, Nokia, Fortum, Isku, Collaprime, Metso, Valmet, Finnair, Haaga-Helia, iLOQ, Granlund, Genelec, Black Donuts Engineering, Education cluster with 20 companies and Smart Nuclear Energy Solutions with Fortum, VTT, Geological Survey of Finland GTK, STUK International, Posiva Solutions and FinNuclear
Exhibition Partners: Halton Group, , Marinetek, Liana Technologies, Naava, Evergreen Farm Oy, Stone from Finland, Finnish Water Forum, Business Oulu, Visit Finland travel cluster, Health comes from Finland

The Finland Pavilion “Snow Cape”

The Finnish pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai was called “Snow Cape”. Simple but refined Finnish design combined with an entrance resembling an Arabic tent brings together the country’s icy landscapes with the culture of Expo 2020’s host nation, the United Arab Emirates.

Inspired by the white blanket of snow which covers the Finnish landscape from autumn onwards, the Finland Pavilion resembled a white snow covered tent. The simple, elegant design reflects the fascinating tradition of Finnish architecture. The Finnish pavilion was a meeting space, a tent where connections between Finnish and Arabic minds could be fostered. In the heart of the Finland pavilion there was the Gorge, a tranquil natural space that contrasted the buzzling Expo environment and provided a cool refuge for visitors.

Construction of the pavilion began in August 2019 by an international consortium that won the tender of Business Finland. The pavilion was built by Expomobilia (Switzerland) and designed by JKMM Architects (Finland). The pavilion design, execution and eventually dismantling are all done with the principles of circular economy and sustainability has been observed throughout the project.

The main theme: “Finland - Sharing Future Happiness”

The design group “Symbiosis”, which consists of four prestigious design companies, won the design competition for the Finnish exhibition concept: Futudesign, Sun Effects, Flatlight Creative and JKMM Architects.

The main theme of the exhibition in the Finnish Pavilion was “Sharing Future Happiness”. The sub-themes were circular economy, sustainability and innovations. Finland's key pillars of happiness are functionality and well-being, nature and sustainable development, and education and know-how. Finland was presented at the Expo by the “Sharing Future Happiness” exhibition based on these strengths and the expertise of the partner companies.

The exhibition of the Finnish Pavilion was an innovative showcase of Finnish expertise in different sections such as Natural resources & energy cycle, ICT & Digitalization, Smart cities and ports, Technology, Education & Health, and Design & Tourism. The exhibition provided an in-depth story of Finland, providing visitors with experiences and information about what Finland's happiness is based on - continuous development and innovation, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions and extensive international cooperation.