Massive turnout: Nearly 3m visits recorded to Expo 2020 Dubai since its grand opening
Visitors enjoy themselves through a series of activities at Expo 2020 Dubai. / Kamal Kassim, Gulf Today
Expo 2020 Dubai has recorded 2,942,388 visits since its opening on 1st October. The visitor numbers included over 100,000 schoolchildren, with Expo set to further stimulate young minds during the forthcoming Knowledge and Learning Week from 12th-18th December.
In the past week, Expo 2020 Dubai marked the UAE Flag Day, which saw His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, raising the national flag; Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Honour Day (OIC); and the Expo 2020 National Days of Antigua and Barbuda, Indonesia, Colombia, and the Netherlands, which included a visit from Dutch royalty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
Countless star acts have added their names to the awe-inspiring roll call of performers to date at Expo 2020 - among the big-name guests gracing Expo stages was Riverdance, the world-famous Irish dance sensation. The group’s shows at Expo will run throughout November.
Expo’s Diwali celebrations featured a strong entertainment line-up, with the Hindu festival celebrated by 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 special showcase from Indian rapper Badshah.
Visitors thronged a temporary circuit at Expo 2020 as the world’s best cyclists contested Giro d’Italia Criterium - the first-ever official sporting event to be staged at a World Expo. In a nail-biting finish, Slovakia’s Peter Sagan pipped Colombia’s Egan Bernal to first place.
Urban & Rural Development Week was launched on World Cities Day on Oct.31, and concluded on 6th November with the announcement that more than 120 of Expo 2020’s permanent buildings have been Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. The week included a special 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.
The line-up of attractions at Expo 2020 shows no signs of slowing down: Nancy Ajram and Ragheb Alama will unite the world through the power of music, at Al Wasl Plaza and broadcast around the world, when they co-headline the second Infinite Nights show on Nov.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 Nov.17, which will showcase talented young students from across the UAE.
On Nov.13, visitors will be treated to an appearance from one of the best athletes in history, Usain Bolt - an 11-time world champion, eight-time Olympic gold medallist and holder of multiple world records - who will lead a Family Run.
Expo visitors have even more reason to explore the site during the coming month, with the launch of the Explore Expo 2020 Dubai, Explore the World special raffle to win one million Emirates Skywards miles and a host of other prizes rewarding those who visit as many Country Pavilions as possible.
Bringing Expo 2020 Dubai to a global digital audience, the number of virtual visits has amounted to 14.8 million since Oct.1.
WAM
