200,000 workers' names carved into stone structures at Expo 2020 Workers’ Monument

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Expo 2020 Workers’ Monument to pay tribute to the workforce responsible for building the first World Expo held in the Arab world has been unveiled by Reem Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai.

The emotive structure is an expression of the incredible achievement and spirit of more than 200,000 workers from around the world.

Reem Al Hashemy was all praise for the contribution, dedication and achievement of Expo’s workforce.

"We wanted to honour the incredible work of more than 200,000 workers and their contribution to Expo 2020 Dubai. Each and everyone deserves to be known, with our sincere thanks and praise, for their tremendous efforts," said Reem Al Hashemy.

"Their dedication to their work has been integral to creating this historic event, the most inclusive World Expo ever. Thanks to your efforts, the planet is able to come together, at a time when international cooperation is most needed, with the collective aim of achieving a better future for us and for future generations," she said.

The Workers’ Monument is designed by renowned London-based architect Asif Khan.

The structure features every worker’s name carved into stone structures.

Inspired by the Moon’s metamorphosis in eclipse, the cylindrical columns also reference the traditional science of cartography and the fine engineering seen in astrolabes from the Islamic world.

The colonnade, comprising columns cut from a single monolithic block, is located along the main walkway of Expo’s Jubilee Park, and will be visited by millions from across the world. It reflects a spirit of collaboration that is deeply rooted in the UAE and underpins the vision and ethos of Expo 2020 - the first global event of this size and scale to be held since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since ground was first broken on the vast Expo site in 2015, the 200,000-plus workforce drawn from across the globe has completed in excess of 240 million working hours, transforming what was once a huge expanse of desert into the incredible home of Expo 2020, a world-class city of the future and a beacon of the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040.

Expo 2020 has also developed the Workers’ Portrait Series, which includes stunning images capturing the diversity and spirit of the Expo workforce, accompanied by their own inspiring quotes, highlighting their achievements and aspirations for the future.

These images will be proudly displayed during Expo 2020 on the digital screens around the Public Realm, where they will be seen by visitors from around the world. A selection will also be exhibited at the Expo Media Centre Gallery during Expo 2020.

The Series follows a 2017 audio-visual exhibition that showcased workers’ stories of Expo 2020, told in their own languages.