With the opening of the Dubai Expo 2020 on Thursday, Dubai is hoping to boost its economy by attracting 25 million business and tourist visits to the world fair which has been built from scratch on 4.3 sq km of desert.
The full expo site has opened its doors to exhibitors from almost 200 countries.
The event was chosen eight years ago to follow the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy, and cost around $6.8 billion. But Expo expects to attract more visits than Milan received.
Dubai wants the Exp to be a place where global challenges such as climate change, conflict and economic growth can be addressed together.
“We are quite confident…that by being responsible in how we manage the situation with COVID but also in how we put forward an exciting program for visitors, we will hopefully be able to thread the needle by opening up but remaining at the same time conservative and keep public safety first and foremost,” Reem Al Hashimy, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Director General was quoted by Reuters as having said.
The Expo requires visitors over 18 to wear a face mask and to be vaccinated against, or test negative for, Coronavirus-19.
