Expo 2020 Dubai reached its conclusion on Thursday evening after six fantastic months of connecting minds and creating the future.

Dubai bid farewell to its extravagant Expo 2020 world fair with great pomp and show.

The closing ceremony witnessed performances from world-renowned artists and musicians. Millions of people flocked to Expo’s 192 countries pavilions in its final days.

Long queues have formed at the most popular attractions, including the falcon-themed United Arab Emirates Pavilion and the Saudi Arabia building, a slanted slab that appears to hover in the air.

Expo, which started with the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and has since showcased innovations such as the telephone and microwave, now moves to Osaka in Japan for the 2025 edition on a man-made island.

“It’s clear that we have set a new bar here — it’s something I believe (Osaka) will look to aspire to,” said Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions to the UAE local media.

Expo 2020 Dubai celebrates BIE Day:  Organisers and participants have joined to pay tribute to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on the occasion of BIE Day.

Taking place after the succession of National Days and Honour Days throughout the 182 days of Expo 2020 Dubai, BIE Day is an opportunity for the BIE and its Member States to celebrate the World Expo as it draws to a close and to commemorate the achievements made.

A dedicated ceremony in Al Wasl Plaza kicked off the day’s proceedings, with UAE and BIE dignitaries as well as representatives of Member States gathering for the flag-raising ceremony and BIE anthem.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “We fondly look back on the meaningful exchanges, celebrations and commitments we have made throughout the past six months, and confidently say that we managed to fulfil our promise of astonishing the world with an exceptional global event, thanks to the tremendous support of the BIE and the commitment of all our International Participants and partners.

“To date, we are proud to announce that Expo has received more than 23 million visits, including three million visits from school students, over 13,000 Government officials, and more than 80 Heads of State. We are thankful for everyone’s contribution, particularly that of our participants, who have shared their unique attributes, successes, and ambitions, and fostered meaningful dialogue through their engagement in our programmes,” he added.

The Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S Kerkentzes, said, “Taking place in a period of uncertainty, Expo 2020 Dubai has been a beacon of optimism, imbued with the BIE’s founding values of cooperation and progress. It has shown that more than ever before, the world is calling out for all that Expos stand for, a desire for fraternity, audacious innovation, and optimism in the future.”

BIE Day is the occasion for the intergovernmental organisation’s member states to gather and reaffirm their adhesion to the Expo values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation, and to mark the continuity from one Expo to the next.