UAE District 2020 and Chinese Atlas Capital to build Blockchain Campus

District 2020 has announced its collaboration with Shanghai-based Atlas Capital Holding as the latest tenant to join its development project. The partnership was confirmed by Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Pavilions and Exhibitions Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, during an address at Cityscape Global.

Atlas Capital is the latest global company to announce it will be laying foundations at District 2020, Dubai’s innovation and mixed-use ecosystem development, alongside Siemens and Accenture. This plays to District 2020’s goal of bringing together companies from key industries, such as travel, tourism, logistics and transport, education, and construction, with the key technologies.

Ms Faraidooni, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Atlas Capital and welcome them to our diverse and growing ecosystem of global tenants at District 2020. The announcement is another testament to our vision of creating a holistic, innovation-focused environment for companies of different sizes and across different industries and technologies to collaborate and maximise synergies, towards mutual gain.”

The investment and incubation company will build a blockchain campus of more than 15,000 sqm at District 2020, further supporting District 2020’s aims of becoming a leading ecosystem for blockchain and other future technologies. The campus will help to attract a range of businesses looking to adopt the latest advanced blockchain technologies, providing them with a collaborative space, and access to global-standard expertise.

Rain Huan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Atlas Capital commented: “Committing to District 2020 is an exciting new chapter for Atlas Capital. Our vision is to support Dubai in its goal of developing into a long-term hub for innovation by creating a Blockchain Campus of the future – an industry hub dedicated to connecting blockchain researchers and entrepreneurs with investors.”

“District 2020 will provide the ideal location to build a community driven blockchain and fintech ecosystem capable of attracting accelerators from all over the world. The campus will offer a Research & Development (R&D) space, as well as educational and funding facilities. These sophisticated facilities will support startups and established businesses, help launch research projects, and host blockchain industry events, conferences, and hackathons. There is even an opportunity for us to create a digital currency and official blockchain wallet as we innovate into the future.” Added Mr Huan.

Marjan Faraidooni added: “It is a priority of ours to curate and bring together the right partners and tenants necessary for our ecosystem to grow. This includes engaging with leading global enterprises, SMEs, and startups, as well as key enablers of a successful innovation district such as education providers and social and cultural institutions. Atlas Capital and our shared plans for the Blockchain Campus demonstrate just how high our ambitions are set in this regard.”

“This is an important step for the UAE’s technology industry, with blockchain predicted to grow rapidly in the next few years. We see Dubai, and District 2020, as the ideal location to drive innovation through these technologies. The Blockchain Campus will therefore support the efforts of Dubai and the UAE to develop a robust, innovation-driven economy,” she added.

District 2020 will also use Cityscape Global as an opportunity to disclose more information on its master plan, revealing a unique asset mix and advanced digital and physical infrastructure that will evolve from the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

District 2020 aims to be an integrated community that is future-proof, and caters to the needs of its workers, residents, and visitors. It will have a balanced mix of offerings including commercial, residential, educational, social and cultural facilities, as well as those centred on hospitality, leisure and entertainment.

The District 2020 master plan, which outlines the guided growth and long-term development of the site, has recently been approved by Dubai Municipality, and is the first community in the region to be successfully registered under the WELL Community Standard pilot. Delivered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Community Standard is a district-scale rating system centred exclusively on health and wellness that aims to set a new global benchmark for healthy communities. It recognises communities that prioritise ten concepts to support healthy living: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, temperature, sound, materials, mind and community. District 2020 will be awarded certification by IWBI (International WELL Building Institute) following testing and validation by GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.) – the third-party certification body for WELL – that it meets all WELL performance requirements.

This recognition validates District 2020’s master plan as a benchmark for future developments, and a blueprint for smart, sustainable, human-centric destinations. It signifies that forward-thinking and adaptable design is key to building smart cities of the future that offer a holistic and balanced lifestyle.

District 2020 will officially open its doors in October 2021, with a seamless transition period between 6 to 9 months, that will see 80 per cent of the World Fair’s infrastructure repurposed. This plan has been uniquely crafted to ensure a rapid shift from Expo 2020 Dubai to District 2020, which will then continue to grow over a number of years in line with market growth. Eventually, District 2020 will be home to 145,000 residents and employees, and be a leading global innovation district, specifically built with future urban living and working in mind.