Three huge entry gates that will welcome visitors to Expo 2020 have arrived in Dubai after a journey spanning thousands of kilometres.
The carbon-fibre structures measure 30 x 21 metres and will stand at the entrances to the site in south Dubai.
They were transported from Bavaria to Europe's second largest port Antwerp then on to Jebel Ali by Expo logistics company UPS.
The structures were placed at the three main entrances to the site ahead of the launch on October 20, 2020.
The entryways will transform the skyline of the Expo 2020 site and symbolise the futuristic spirit of the world fair, Expo officials said.
“The hosts of Expo 2020 wanted a structure that would stand the test of time - and there are no other entryways like this on the planet,” said Martin Osswald, chief executive of Germany manufacturer HA-CO Carbon GmbH.
“It’s incredible for us to imagine that 25 million visitors will pass through these iconic doors that were made in Germany.”
The Expo site - which is being built from scratch in a patch of desert near Dubai World Central airport - is the size of about 600 football fields.
The government said it will welcome an estimated 25 million visitors in the six months between October 2020 and April 2021.
Tens of thousands of staff will work on the site and 200 restaurants will produce up to 300,000 meals per day.
The world fair, as it is also known, is expected to showcase the latest technology and feature a pavilion from every country in the world.
