Expo 2020 Dubai Looks To Position The UAE As The Culinary Capital Of The World

Dubai sees itself as a world class culinary destination. It might seem like a pretty bold vision for a city located in the middle of a desert. But anyone who has been paying attention to the global dining scene over the past decade knows that it's not an overstatement . And with Expo 2020 , Dubai has a unique opportunity to make the point with a broader audience. The global exhibition which runs through the end of March, 2022, has already brought in 6 million visitors to this part of the UAE.

Elevated cuisine is a throughline connecting the sprawling 1033-acre site. And the flavors of Dubai are on constant display. Helping put it all in the spotlight is Simon Wright . He's the founder and chairman of TGP International —the global hospitality agency responsible for curating the entire culinary experience at Expo 2020.

Forbes sat down (virtually) with Wright for an exclusive Q+A. He shared some expert details on the Dubai dining scene while describing what it's like to oversee the colossal undertaking that is a World Expo. Read on below…

Forbes: Is Dubai the new culinary capital of the world?

Wright: It's certainly shaping up to be. Expo 2020 Dubai is the largest gathering of the global culinary community. There are more than 250 cultural food concepts representing 191 countries — all in one place. Our thought is that food is all of our common language. And if we can celebrate these nations, the pride of their heritage, and serve amazing food in a "wow" setting, we can tear down some of the divides that exist between us so that people may walk away with a deeper understanding of each other's culinary landscapes.

Tell us more about the lineup.

The culinary lineup at Expo Dubai spans globally, from Michelin-starred chefs from dining institutions in the usual places like New York, Los Angeles, Italy and France to far-reaching corners of the world with untapped talent, and a collection of brands that have never been seen in the region before such as The National, BARON and Bread Ahead to name a few. We're really hoping to serve as the culinary capital of the world to shine a light on rising stars and educate as many attendees as we can to look at food a bit differently than they have before—to try something new, break out of their comfort zones and flip biases about certain foods on their head. I can tell you that after just a few short weeks of Expo 2020 Dubai, it's happening exactly like this in real time with attendees from all walks of life having their curiosity and senses awakened.

How is technology working its way into the experience?

Expo Dubai is not just serving up great food with a side of history, art and culture, it's also giving innovators a stage. For example, there is an entire sustainability pavilion that features 3 restaurant concepts from world-class plant-based chef Matthew Kenney ; Mudra, XYST and VEG'D, and explores the future of food and new approaches to plant-based dining. We also look at how technology will affect the way we eat. We have a fleet of delivery robots and a robotic barista delighting you with food from a state-of-the-art multi-storey talabat cloud kitchen which reimagines the future of delivery. All of this in one of the most futuristic destinations in the world.

How are you making sure you're being authentic to Dubai and what is Emirati cuisine?

To showcase participating UAE chefs, we launched a "Born at Expo" initiative, giving a launch platform to exciting culinary entrepreneurs, such as Stéphan Bhoyroo who launched Canvas by Coffee Culture to create a local community founded on ethical sourcing of coffee beans. Another great example is Jessica Queitsch who founded Alif Café by farm2table to highlight organic farm fresh produce sourced & grown in the Emirates.

How has the response been to all of this?

Most people are surprised to learn that despite the desert environs, fruits and vegetables are easy to grow in the UAE and are a big part of the local diet, especially cucumbers, tomatoes and mangoes. There is also a lot of meat, small fowl, grains and dairy that comprise the Emirati diet. A lot of what people are eating in Dubai is locally sourced.

On the other side of things, the UAE is a cultural melting pot with more than 200 nationalities calling it home. Over time this has created a rise in local purveyors that reflect the vibrancy of the people who live here. Influences of Indian spices, Lebanese sweets and more have found their way into the daily food culture in Dubai. They're represented at Expo as well, including the Arabian Tea House; Al Farwania, an Indian gem; Dampa Seafood Grill, a Filipino hotspot; Lebanese stalwart Al Reef Bakery; and Hanon Feras Sweets, renowned for its traditional Middle Eastern dessert, kanafa.

As is the case with most of what's offered at Expo, the goal is to give up-and-coming, as well as renowned local institutions, the opportunity to make their mark on the international food scene.

What would you say is so unique about the culinary line up?

Diversity. Besides the sheer magnitude of what we're able to offer just from the perspective of the day-to-day operations of a 250 restaurant event, the DNA of this project is to welcome all kinds of thought processes and applications in the food world. It's been our commitment to diversity and inclusion that has also attracted a lot of famous talent from the U.S. to work with us here, including chefs Alexander Smalls, Scott Conant, Kwame Onwuachi, Geoffrey Zakarian, Rohit Ghai, Kimberly Lin, David Myers and more.

Another highlight is Rising Flavours, a dining hall where attendees can try foods from all over the [Gulf Cooperation Council], including a variety of dishes from the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Its ground floor is home to a regularly rotating line-up of culinary pods, with a celebrated cast including UAE-based Spanish pastry chef Carmen Rueda , known for combining comfort tastes with exotic flavors such as karak, strawberry cheesecake, and hazelnut popping candy; Douha Al Otaishan , Saudi Arabia's first female executive chef; Hattem Mattar , the world’s first Arab pit master and founder of The Mattar Farm; Turkish chef Zulfikar Cambaz ; and Bahraini restaurateur Roaya Saleh .

Will any of this extend beyond the end of the Expo in late March?

Due to the success at Expo 2020 Dubai, there are plans underway to bring Alkebulan to other international markets to continue to elevate the way people think about and enjoy African food, how it relates to fine dining and more. Alkebulan are exploring plans to expand in New York City's Harlem neighborhood and London.

What do you hope attendees take away from Expo Dubai?

We are using food as a tool to connect and educate people about cultures from all around the world. It is my hope that the first taste inspires someone to continue learning, educating and even visiting a new place.