Expo 2017 Energy Exhibition launched in Astana, Kazakhstan

Astana held the grand opening of the Energy Exhibition EXPO 2017 on June 10, 2017. The ceremony brought together presidents of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries and marked the result of almost five years of preparation by Kazakhstan.

In 2012, Astana won the right to host the international energy exhibition, ahead of Liege in Belgium. Kazakhstan then began a series of large infrastructure projects for the event. On the left bank of Astana, in the newer part of the city, a large exhibition complex was built as the main venue for EXPO 2017.

At the center of the complex stands a huge glass sphere that housed Kazakhstan's exposition across seven levels. Each level explained technologies and ideas for generating energy from different sources, including space, sun, wind, bioenergy, and other fields.

Around the sphere, a belt of buildings hosted the national pavilions of participating countries. Each country presented its own design and content, showing research, energy generation, industrial use, everyday applications, and media about national life, attractions, and tourism opportunities.

Uzbekistan's tourism exposition was especially visible among the neighboring countries. A full floor presented the country's tourism potential, with representatives of travel agencies, airlines, and companies introducing visitors to travel in Uzbekistan and Central Asia.

EXPO 2017 was scheduled to run until September 10, 2017, for three months. Organizers expected several million visitors, and the event gave Astana strong momentum as Kazakhstan's capital, supporting infrastructure upgrades and new tourism opportunities for the city.