VIDEO: Dubai Expo sees massive turnout of thrilled visitors
Artistes entertain the crowds with their performances at Expo 2020 Dubai on Friday. Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today
Syed Shayaan Bakht, Staff Reporter
Expo 2020 Dubai saw a massive turnout of visitors on Friday at most of its pavilions prompting volunteers to set up checkpoints and organise the entry and exit of people to maintain the safe distance virus protocols.
Authorities noticed the density of the crowds at Al-Wasl Square where most cultural activities were taking place.
The footfall increased after dusk, a volunteer at the site said.
It was with the performance of the British Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, over the Expo site, that the visitors increased.
Thousands attended the light and sound shows at the Al Wasl dome.
A European visitor spoke to Gulf Today while enjoying the crowds chime in with the tunes of the Palestinian folk dabkeh.
The UAE and Saudi pavilions witnessed a large turnout.
Hundreds queued in front of the UAE pavilion to view its features.
A video circulating on social media showed crowds standing in a long queue to enter the UAE pavilion.
The UAE pavilion, created to showcase both the rich heritage and bright future of the UAE, has four floors and covers an area of over 15,000 square meters.
The pavilion is open to visitors from 10 am to 10 pm, with the last visit starting at 8:30 pm.
School visits to the pavilion take place during the week from 9:00 am to 11:45am.
The late evening shows by Jordanian band Hayajan drew most of the crowds.
The Arabic independent Rock and Pop band captivated the audience with its electrifying performances at Jubilee Theater.
The organisers said that the Expo 2020 passport is quite popular and is very much in demand.
The passport is considered a souvenir while exploring the 200-plus participating pavilions.
The passport encourages visitors to see as many pavilions as possible during the 182-day event, while allowing them to look back and relive the memories of their experiences after they visit, an official said.
Since its introduction at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, the passport has become one of the most popular Expo souvenirs for visitors who want to keep track of all the different international pavilions they visit, collecting pavilion stamps as a memento.
In order to enhance the experience of Expo 2020 Dubai, and transfer the international event to any device connected to the Internet, anywhere in the world, at any time, the VirtualExpo.world platform provides new ways to explore the first World Expo in the Arab world.
The Expo virtual platform is taking Expo 2020 to the world - and while Dubai welcomes 192 participating countries, people in these countries will be able to watch Expo 2020 from all over the world.
