Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, on Monday received Bruno Le Maire, France’s Minister of Economy and Finance, at expo 2020.

Sheikh Maktoum and the French Minister discussed ways of boosting business and commerce between the two nations within the framework of the UAE and France’s strategic partnership.

The French minister praised the UAE’s accomplishments in various sectors that have raised its regional and global position. He also congratulated Dubai for organising an exceptional expo 2020 Dubai.

The meeting was attended by Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs; Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; and Younis Haji Al Khoori, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

4 million visits to Expo: As of November 21, the number of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai has broken the barrier of 4 million visits, welcoming them to its site filled with activities and amazing adventures.

The number of visitors to the Expo 2020 Dubai site witnessed an increasing growth, driven by a wide range of celebrations, activities, sports, cultural, musical and entertainment events that attracted visitors of all groups and ages, which contributed to welcoming about 4,156,985 visits since its launch on the first of last October.

Ticket sales for the “Run at Expo” event held on November 19, which were completely sold out, also increased the number of visits to the international event, where the race witnessed the participation of more than 10,000 runners of all ages.

They enjoyed running around the Expo site in the company of six of the most important Kenyan runners in the world, who ran with them in 3 races distributed over three different distances, 3, 5 and 10 km.

The two musical performances presented by the Paradise Women’s Orchestra, on November 16, on the occasion of Expo 2020’s celebration of the International Day for Tolerance, and on November 20 as part of the amazing activities organized by the international event in celebration of International Children’s Day, also contributed to attracting large audiences who enjoyed the orchestra’s enchanting musical performance.

The magical concert of Pakistani singer, songwriter, composer and actor Atif Aslam won the admiration of the fans, who gathered on November 17 in droves to enjoy some of his most successful hits.

Ticket offer: Weekdays for the month of November, priced at Dhs45 are expected to accelerate by the last week of the month, which promises to present a selection of diverse and dazzling talent and exciting entertainment events.

The Expo School Program, over a period of 31 days, attracted more than 200,000 students from public and private schools from all over the country to “World Opportunities”, “Global Mobility”, and “Sustainable Planet.”

As for the Expo Young Stars program participants, they took to the stage of Al Wasl Square to present 5 distinguished performances, by some of the best artistic talents from students of talented schools such as Jazz Rockers Institute of Dance, Filipino School, Just Dance Center for Fine Arts Education, and Indian High School.

In addition, 50 lucky students from 20 different nationalities helped open the gates of Expo 2020 Dubai to visitors on International Children’s Day.

International Children’s Day: Before the International Children’s Day celebrations, the international event also celebrated the arrival of the number of school visits to 100,000, by forming the number (100K) in English on November 20, next to the Terra Pavilion in the Sustainability District, with the participation of 400 students representing the Emirates Education Foundation, with the presence and participation of Jamila Bint Salem Musabih Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education Affairs.

Expo 2020 Dubai also cooperated with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Community Development in the UAE to celebrate International Children’s Day, by organizing a wide range of attractive festive events, which included a magical concert in Al Wasl Square, which included a distinguished performance by the Lebanese star Yara , UNICEF Regional Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa, who performed her new song dedicated to children “We Want To Live”.

Music concerts: Music concerts are among the most important events that attract large audiences to the site of the international event, wishing to enjoy the performances of their favorite stars.

In addition to the special concert organized for superstar Ragheb Alama and the beloved star Nancy Ajram, the visitors of Expo 2020 will soon be on a date with two of the most important singing stars in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab world, the veteran Kuwaiti singer Abdullah Al-Ruwaished and the Egyptian singing star Muhammad Hamaki.

Al-Ruwaished will present on the jubilee platform on November 24, a group of his most beautiful distinguished songs that the audience has always chanted with him throughout his rich artistic career spanning 40 years, while the famous Egyptian star Mohamed Hamaki will present his romantic songs, with vibrant rhythms and expressive words on November 26.

The Irish theater show “Riverdance”, which won a Grammy Award, will continue to present its musical and dance performances on November 22, 23, 25 and 26, and then the famous band will present its last show at the closing ceremony, which will be hosted by the Jubilee Stage at 7:30 pm on November 27.

As for the free yoga sessions for women on Mondays, which are held at the site of the captivating Expo 2020 Falls, it was decided to extend it due to the wide popularity and great demand it witnessed during the period of its holding.

22 million virtual visits: While the number of visits to the Expo virtual platform, which allows audiences from all over the world to make virtual visits to the site, increased to 22 million visits during the same period.

Expo 2020 Dubai will be held until March 31, 2022, and invites the whole world to participate in the celebration and to contribute to building a better and brighter future for all, through the values it represents of unity, diversity, opportunities, creativity and sustainability.

Punjab International Business Conference: The Punjab International Business Conference was organized and held by the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade at the Ritz Carlton today. This Conference was undertaken by PBIT as part of their #PunjabEase Going Global showcase at the Pakistan Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai.

The event was hosted by the Minister of Industries, Commerce, Investment, and Skill Development Department of Punjab, Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal on behalf of the Honorable Chief Minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar. The Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, His Excellency Afzaal Mahmood was present at the Conference, along with a number of local dignitaries, members of the local and international business community, Pakistani diaspora, and investors from the UAE.

The Conference focused on Punjab’s economic prowess and the numerous investment opportunities it presents to the world. The CEO of the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, Dr. Erfa Iqbal, gave an attractive speech highlighting the potential for business and investment in Punjab, emphasizing the fact that the province was on its way to become the next investment destination of choice for investors all over the globe.

Mr. Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal introduced two new initiatives being undertaken by the Government of Punjab, in an effort to promote and facilitate investments and the growth of start-ups in the province.

The first initiative is the Investment Portal, an online resource centre that is being launched to aid investors and businesspeople in Pakistan and abroad. This is being launched in parallel with the start-up moot and project exhibitions being displayed at the Pakistan Pavilion, to ensure the timely facilitation of actual or potential investors.

The second initiative is the UAE Help Desk, an office space being set up in the United Arab Emirates, by the Government of Punjab that aims to attract investment to Punjab from the UAE business community.

The Ministers of the Finance Department and Industry Department of Punjab also gave speeches, further highlighting the importance of Punjab as Asia’s next business hub.

The Conference provided a very promising glimpse into the economic future of the province, consequently attracting a large amount of interest from the esteemed audience. PBIT continues to impress and inspire at the Expo 2020 Dubai, fulfilling their goal of securing Punjab’s future as the land of investment and opportunity.