The atmosphere at the celebration was one of pride and optimism.

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

As the countdown begins for the world’s most spectacular event, Expo 2020 Dubai, which will start one year from now, Ajman Museum hosted a special celebration. Emirati, Arab and international bands and musicians performed for a large audience from different nationalities.

Expo 2020 will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The celebration included a variety of events culminating in a countdown that began at 20:20. The atmosphere at the celebration was one of pride and optimism.

Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, ATDD Director General, said, “Expo 2020 Dubai is a global event that provides the ideal platform to showcase the UAE’s achievements and promote different economic sectors, including tourism. The concerted efforts of the public and private sectors will contribute to the Expo’s success. We are proud to organise this celebration at Ajman Museum, an icon of the Emirate and a landmark that narrates the great history of our founding fathers.”

Al Geziry added, “We support the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai; it will have a positive impact on the UAE’s standing as a leading international destination and a preferred destination for major events and exhibitions that contribute to the growth of sustainable tourism and to the national economy.”

He pointed out that the efforts of ATDD and its partners are in line with Ajman Vision 2021, which aims to attract an increasing number of domestic, regional and international visitors.

Held from 5pm to 10pm, the celebration at Ajman Museum took place at the same time as celebrations across the Emirates at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain Corniche, Al Qawasim Corniche in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah Fort and in Dubai.

Sunday October 20 marked exactly one year until the world’s first-ever Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region launches under the grand theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

The highlight of Sunday’s nationwide celebrations was with global superstar Mariah Carey and acclaimed Emirati artist and Expo 2020 Ambassador Hussein Al Jassmi who performed live in the Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. Simultaneous festivities took place at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah, Ajman Museum, Umm Al Quwain Corniche, Al Qawasim Corniche in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah Fort.

Every event featured grassroots music and performing arts, amazing food, graphic art and more – plus live streams of Dubai’s headline acts and the Burj Khalifa countdown.

Carey is a singer, songwriter, actress, record producer and entrepreneur who has sold more than 200 million records, making her one of the bestselling musicians of all time. She has written 17 US number one singles, more than any other female songwriter in history, including We Belong Together, Hero and Fantasy.

Sharjah-born star Al Jassmi is a bestselling Arabic-language artist, with songs including Boshret Kheir and Bawada’ak. He is also known for his humanitarian work, regularly visiting refugee camps in the region, and was the first Arab artist invited to perform at the Vatican’s annual Christmas charity concert in 2018, where he met with Pope Francis and conveyed the UAE’s values of tolerance between all people and religions.

Recently, The Expo School Programme announced the launch of Expo 2020 Young Stars, created to provide an extraordinary opportunity for the students of the UAE to perform in Al Wasl Plaza, the heart and soul of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Expo 2020 celebrates the diversity of our schools and students. Each participating school will create its own unique show based on the themes and spirit of Expo 2020.

Expo 2020 Young Stars provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the school students of UAE, their schools and families to play an active role in Expo 2020 and showcase their talents to the world.

The schools of the nation can get more details on how to participate by visiting