Palm fronds from UAE pavilion to support community centre in earthquake-affected Wajima, Japan

Materials from Expo 2025 Osaka Pavilion to be repurposed for community use, reinforcing UAE–Japan collaboration

Tokyo, Japan / Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 12, 2026: Date palm materials from the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai are being repurposed for the construction of a community centre in Wajima City on Japan’s Noto Peninsula, supporting rebuilding efforts following the 2024 earthquake.

Date palm fronds used in the Pavilion have been carefully salvaged and processed into strand boards, which are now being considered for use in the community centre’s walls. The Pavilion’s remaining Datecrete paving blocks, a UAE-developed innovative material derived from crushed date seeds and reclaimed palm fronds, will be used for paving applications within the project.

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Date Palm fronds formed a defining element of the UAE Pavilion’s architecture, including its 90 palm rachis columns. These materials reflected a reimagining of traditional Emirati resources, demonstrating how date palm-based materials can be adapted through design and engineering. Their reuse in Wajima extends this approach into a practical community setting.

The initiative builds on recent efforts to extend the Pavilion’s legacy beyond the Expo site. Earlier this year, the UAE Pavilion pergola was installed in Tottori Prefecture, where it now serves as a public gathering space within the local community.

His Excellency Shihab Alfaheem, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, said: “This initiative extends the life of the Pavilion in a way that is both purposeful and grounded in real-world application. It reflects an approach in which design and material innovation are not confined to a single moment but continue to find purpose in new contexts. In this case, that continuation supports a community effort in Wajima.”