Expo 2020 Dubai, the world’s greatest show concluded on March 31 with a grand closing ceremony. Over its 182 days, the Expo 2020 Dubai, which began on 1st October 2021, recorded 24,102,967 visits. More than 200 million visits were also made virtually. Expo 2020 Dubai was the first Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia with many reasons to be counted as one of the most important in exposition history.
192 countries, 14 multilateral organisations and 22 Partners participated in the Expo 2020. Visitors came from 178 countries and India topped the list of international visitors, followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia, France and the USA. Children (under the age of 18) made up 18 per cent of all visits including one million school children. As many as 2,777 world leaders visited Expo 2020. More than 35,000 events were held, from music, dance and children’s entertainment, to business conferences, daily parades, sports activations and creative workshops.
Commenting on the success of the mega event, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group; and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “After an incredible six months, we are immensely proud to have staged a World Expo that has connected minds, created the future and inspired the world. Expo 2020 Dubai is a triumph that will go down in history as a beacon of unity and hope – a tremendous honour for the UAE as we celebrated our 50th year and a defining moment in the history of our nation.”
In his statement, Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “From the beginning of this incredible Expo journey, our country’s leadership promised an Expo that would amaze the world. Despite the inconceivable challenges, including the pandemic, a new variant, and conflicts in different parts of the world, we have delivered on this promise with purpose and passion.”
The mega event needed 30,000 strong volunteer forces including people from 135 nationalities who in all completed more than 1 million hours of service with dedication. “We owe our sincere gratitude and respect to everyone who has come together to become part of this – from our 30,000-strong volunteer force to the dedicated Expo Tribe, our Participants and Partners, and of course the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee. This has been a truly collective effort and a shining manifestation of our theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” said Reem Al Hashimy.
According to the organisers, some of Expo 2020 Dubai’s most popular attractions resulted in queues of up to five hours during the last few days of the event, but fans who missed their chance to experience them in person, or are keen to revisit their favourite events, concerts or Country Pavilions can continue to immerse themselves in Expo 2020 Dubai through the Virtualexpodubai.com platform. While the gates of the iconic Expo Portals closed for the last time on 31 March, virtual fans can continue to experience the event. Fans from all over the world flocked to Expo 2020 Dubai’s virtual and online platforms, with India, China and the UAE proving to be the most popular markets, followed by Central and South America and other countries in the southern parts of Asia and Africa.
