By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 6 min read
Where is Expo City, and where are the exhibition halls inside it?
Expo City Dubai is the former Expo 2020 site in Dubai South, next to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). It sits near Expo Road (E77) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), about 37 km by road from Downtown Dubai.
The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) is the exhibition venue inside Expo City. It has two blocks of halls:
- North Halls. On OpenStreetMap, the North block sits on Al Ghuroob Street.
- South Halls. The South block faces 2020 Boulevard, near the Expo 2020 Metro station.
Visitors arrive through the Arrivals Plaza, with concourses on the North and South sides. On event days, scheduled shuttles link the DEC parking zones with the Arrivals Plaza, and free buses carry visitors to both hall blocks. Dubai Media Office values the venue’s current expansion at USD 2.7 billion.
How do you get to Expo City by Metro?
Expo 2020 station (R76) is on the Red Line extension, 7 stations from Jebel Ali station with no change of train. The DEC’s FAQ gives a train every 3 to 4 minutes at peak and every 5 to 7 minutes off-peak.
- Ride the Red Line towards Expo 2020. The GITEX organiser warns that two Red Line trains can arrive at the same platform, so check the destination on the train.
- Walk 5 to 10 minutes from the station to the halls, per the GITEX organiser.
- Pay with a Nol card. RTA buses also stop at the Expo 2020 Metro Bus Interchange on standard fares.
Park and Ride suits drivers coming from the city. The GITEX organiser lists car parks at Centrepoint, e& and National Paints stations, and the Al Kifaf multi-storey by Max station.
Where do you park, and is valet available?
| Parking | Who runs or lists it | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Four designated zones, around 9,500 bays | Expo City Dubai | Follow the signs on the approach roads. |
| Parking A, B and C, over 1,500 spaces | Dubai Exhibition Centre | Near Expo Village. Free for all DEC events, per the venue’s FAQ. |
| Sustainability parking and Opportunity parking | Expo City Dubai | Where the EV chargers are. DEC visitor parking has none. |
| P1 to P5, Mobility Parking, Airshow Overflow Parking | GITEX Global 2026 | Shuttles run from overflow parking. Charges were not published when we checked. |
The organiser of Automechanika quotes more than 10,000 spaces at the site. Each source counts a different area, so trust the signs your show puts up on the day.
Valet depends on the event. The DEC offers it only when the organiser asks for it, so look for it on your show’s visitor page rather than expecting it.
Where do taxis and chauffeur cars drop off at the DEC?
- Boulevard 2020 Street. The DEC’s FAQ names the designated taxi and car drop-off area there.
- South Drop-Off, during GITEX. Private cars may set down only at designated points, including the South Drop-Off. The DWTC to DEC shuttles and the overflow parking buses stop there too.
- Transportation Hub, during GITEX. Designated taxis, hotel buses, exhibitor shuttles and destination buses work from it.
With Assure, the chauffeur sets you down at the point your show names and meets you again at the pickup you agree before you go in. Each Expo City show has its own notes, such as our GITEX chauffeur page for 8 to 11 December 2026. For a day of meetings across the city, a car with driver by the hour keeps one car and one driver with you.
Which airport is closer: DWC or DXB?
| Airport | Road distance to the DEC | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 21 km | about 28 minutes |
| Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3 | about 52 km | about 43 minutes |
| Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 1 | about 49 km | about 52 minutes |
| Zayed International (AUH) | about 88 km | about 1 hour 1 minute |
DWC is the closest by far, but the DEC’s own FAQ notes that it serves a limited number of commercial flights. Most visitors land at DXB, which the same FAQ puts at 35 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic.
At either airport, your chauffeur meets you in arrivals with your name on a board and helps with the bags. See pickups at Al Maktoum International, or every UAE airport under airport transfers.
How long is the drive from the city, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi?
Measured from the Dubai Exhibition Centre with OSRM on OpenStreetMap, free-flow, so add time on show mornings.
| From | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina | about 20 km | about 22 minutes |
| Palm Jumeirah | about 26 km | about 26 minutes |
| Downtown Dubai | about 37 km | about 34 minutes |
| Dubai World Trade Centre | about 40 km | about 37 minutes |
| Sharjah city centre | about 63 km | about 50 minutes |
| Abu Dhabi city centre | about 111 km | about 1 hour 11 minutes |
Expo City is about 30 km closer to Abu Dhabi than DWTC, which sits about 142 km from the capital. For an Abu Dhabi-based team, the Expo City shows are the easier day trips.
Which events are held at Expo City Dubai?
| Event | Next dates | Venue on site |
|---|---|---|
| Automechanika Dubai | 10 to 12 November 2026 | Dubai Exhibition Centre, its first edition here after 22 at DWTC |
| GITEX Global Expo | 8 to 11 December 2026 | Dubai Exhibition Centre |
| Expand North Star | 8 to 10 December 2026 | Expo City Dubai |
| WHX Dubai | 25 to 28 January 2027 | Dubai Exhibition Centre, with some zones at DWTC |
| Gulfood | 15 to 19 March 2027 | Dubai Exhibition Centre and DWTC |
| GISEC Global | 4 to 6 May 2027 | Dubai Exhibition Centre |
| Middle East Energy | 11 to 13 May 2027 | Dubai Exhibition Centre |
The Dubai Airshow, from 15 to 19 November 2027, is held next door at the Dubai Airshow Site at DWC rather than at Expo City. Car plans for each show are on our WHX chauffeur page, Gulfood chauffeur page and Dubai Airshow chauffeur page. Halls, badges and hotels for December are in the GITEX Global visitor guide.
Festival nights: where Untold Dubai is held in 2027
Untold Dubai’s official site lists the 2027 edition for 19 to 21 March 2027 at Dubai Parks and Resorts, not Expo City. Any page that still sends festival-goers to Expo City does not match that listing. Check untold.ae for gate times and transport before you book a car home.
Tips for a show day at Expo City
- Allow for the distance. The DEC is about 40 km from DWTC, so a morning in the city and an afternoon at Expo City needs a clear gap.
- Check which hall block your show uses. North and South are linked by free shuttles, but a set-down at the right side saves the ride.
- Charging an EV? Park in Sustainability or Opportunity parking. DEC visitor parking has no chargers.
- Two venues in one week? WHX and Gulfood split their halls between Expo City and DWTC. Our DWTC drop-off guide covers the other end.
- Check every date against the Dubai and UAE events calendar, which lists each show’s official site.
Photos in this guide
The steel trellis of the Al Wasl Plaza dome at Expo City Dubai, seen from belowRyan W (drawntothenorth) / Flickr, CC0 1.0
The Al Wasl Plaza dome at Expo City Dubai lit pink at nightMartin Lewison / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
A Red Line train display showing the next station as Expo 2020Jpbowen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The passenger terminal entrance at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)Marlin Le / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
