Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai has recorded 2,942,388 visits since its opening on October 1, with virtual visits amounting to 14.8 million.
The onsite visitor numbers included over 100,000 schoolchildren, and Expo is set for ‘Knowledge & Learning Week’ from December 12 to 18 to attract even more students.
Expo 2020 Dubai runs until March 31, 2022.
Busy week
In the past week, Expo 2020 Dubai marked UAE Flag Day, which saw His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, raising the national flag; Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Honour Day, which hosted Dr Yousef Al Othaimeen, OIC Secretary General; and the Expo 2020 National Days of Antigua and Barbuda, Indonesia, Colombia, and the Netherlands, which included a visit from Dutch royalty His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima.
Performances
Countless star acts have added their names to the roll call of performers to date at Expo. Among the guests on Expo stages was Riverdance, the Irish dance group that not only performed for crowds, but also held masterclasses to involve visitors. The group’s shows at Expo will run throughout the month of November.
Expo’s Diwali celebrations featured acts such as India’s Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, and Bollywood playback singer Vipul Mehta. ‘Late Nights @ Expo’ also hosted a series of music events to commemorate the festival of lights, including a showcase from Indian rapper Badshah.
Race circuit
Visitors thronged a temporary circuit at Expo as the world’s leading cyclists contested ‘Giro d’Italia Criterium’ – the first ever official sporting event to be staged at a World Expo. In a close finish, Slovakia’s Peter Sagan pipped Colombia’s Egan Bernal to first place.
Spotlight on sustainability
‘Urban & Rural Development Week’ was launched on World Cities Day on October 31 and concluded on November 6 with the announcement that more than 120 of Expo’s permanent buildings have been Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. The week included a ‘Women’s World Majlis’ reimaging what cities and villages would look like had they been designed by women, and the launch of the ‘Last Mile Delivery Roadmap’, a blueprint for making informal settlements safe and sustainable.
Upcoming attractions
The line-up of upcoming attractions include Nancy Ajram and Ragheb Alama who will showcase power of music at Al Wasl Plaza, to be broadcast around the world, when they co-headline the second ‘Infinite Nights’ show on November 12.
On the same day, K-pop concert KITE will welcome acts including Highlight and Punch.
Al Wasl will also play host to the ‘Expo Young Stars’ programme until the November 17, which will showcase talented young students from across the UAE.
Olympic champion
On November 13, visitors will be treated to an appearance from Usain Bolt – an 11-time world champion, eight-time Olympic gold medallist and holder of multiple world records – who will lead a Family Run. The event is in collaboration with Official Beverage and Snack Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, PepsiCo, through its sports drink brand Gatorade.
Visitors will also have a chance at the ‘Explore Expo 2020 Dubai, Explore the World’ special raffle to win 1 million Emirates Skywards miles and a host of other prizes rewarding those who visit as many Country Pavilions as possible.
This month, Expo launched the November Weekday Pass available for Dh45.
