HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, Chairman of Expo 2020 Dubai, said that the crowning of Al Wasl Square is a historic milestone not only for Expo 2020. But for all Dubai and the UAE.

“This new urban icon is part of a list of inspirational designs that are the result of joint and diligent work and the vision of our leadership. It is a true example of what our country can do when it unites the skills and talents to accomplish a wonderful job,” he added.

His Highness praised the efforts of thousands of technicians and workers at the site who have turned the dome into reality, and congratulated all the workers and those who are responsible for this great achievement which will take its place with the rest of the outstanding urban achievements that our country boasts before the world.

Successful crowning

Months of hard work and careful planning, culminated yesterday with the successful crowning of the giant dome «Al Wasl Square», which represents the most prominent landmark in the «Expo 2020 Dubai», and the crown of the crown of the world's finest event

The process of putting the huge crown in place on top of the steel giant dome took many hours of hard and meticulous engineering work, reaching a size of 724,000 cubic meters and a height of 67.5 meters, exceeding the length of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.

Covering the 130-meter-wide Al Wasl Square in the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, the steel dome will be Dubai's newest landmark.

An engineering challenge

Ahmed Al Khatib, CEO of Real Estate Development and Delivery at Expo 2020 Dubai, who oversaw this huge work, said that hundreds of professionals participated in this delicate process and used specialized lifting equipment to complete this task, which was a unique engineering challenge. He pointed out that the crowning of the Dome «Wasl Square» was a stunning event in every sense of the word, and one of the most difficult and most accurate engineering processes in the world, for several reasons, including the complexity of access to the site.

"This is the happiest day in my entire career," he said.

Al-Khatib pointed out that lifting the mass of the dome of the crown of «Al Wasl Square» is a very complex engineering process, with many variables as well, such as a shift in the direction of the wind or the temperature of the air, which may affect the calculations significantly, Continuous evaluation was essential throughout the process of lifting the crown to the top of the dome.

He said Al Wasl Square is the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai and is a key meeting point for visitors during this global event. Al Wasl Square will be an innovative 360-degree display and will provide a unique experience for millions of visitors during Expo 2020 Dubai, connecting the three areas of the event: 'Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunities', and will be the main meeting point for visitors during the event. International and over six months.

550 tons of steel

The weight of the steel component in the crown of the dome «Al Wasl Square» to 550 tons, and a length of 22.5 meters, so it was necessary to be in the correct and accurate position on top of the steel bars with a margin of error not exceeding three millimeters.

The process was carried out using a technique called strand jacking, bringing the total weight, including components and equipment needed to lift the dome during the operation, to 830 tons, equivalent to the weight of 600 small cars.

18 hydraulic jacks supported by steel tension ropes connected to 18 temporary rolls were used to raise the steel crown gradually.

The crown is placed on top of the main structure of the dome, which is 45 meters above the ground, and is linked to the existing structure through 53 anchor points.

800 experts and technicians

Some 800 technicians and construction experts were involved in the night-long monitoring of each millimeter of the process, using GPS devices to make sure the crown was in place.

To maintain the position of the steel bars connecting the crown to the structure of the dome, these bars were tightened with a number of cables during the coronation process, in order to connect the steel crown bars to the temporary middle pressure ring. The teams carried out several lift tests to measure the movement of the giant crown as it was lifted from the ground.

After the dome crown is put in place, the welding process will begin to hold the crown in the dome structure, which will take 25 days to complete.

60 concerts daily at Al Wasl Square

Al Wasl Square is designed to be a covered meeting place that is very different from other attractions in Dubai, where it will host many spectacular shows, landscapes and live celebrations that will exceed 60 concerts daily.

The crowning of the dome is a crucial milestone in the preparations for the international event, with all permanent construction led by Expo 2020 Dubai due to be completed by the end of the year, according to schedule.

The size of the dome reaches 724 thousand cubic meters, and its height to 67.5 meters exceeding the length of the tower «Pisa».

International companies from 13 countries

The crowning of the Al Wasl Square was a 14-month effort to prepare for this moment.These preparations began when the last pieces of steel dome bars left Italy on June 26, 2018 and the first separate components arrived in Dubai in July of the same year. Ground before lifting it to its place.

Al Wasl Square is the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai, 'Connecting Minds and Creating the Future', as a result of international cooperation with contributions from companies from 13 countries.

The Al Wasl Square was designed by US-based architectural firm Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill, and the steel ore used to build the Al Wasl Dome was supplied from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

Companies in Belgium, Germany and Spain worked to form the curves of the steel dome of Al Wasl Square, before the company «Simulai Raymond» to assemble those bars in Italy.

The steel bars were shipped in batches to Dubai through DP World, and Jacobs Mys Consulting, the official service provider for Expo 2020 Dubai in the area of ​​software delivery, managed overall project operations. Companies from the United States, Canada, China and France are playing Japan and Mexico also play an important role in completing the dome.

The dome will be equipped with state-of-the-art displays by Christie's audiovisual experts.