A guide to what's happening on New Year's Day at Expo 2020 Dubai

There's plenty of entertainment lined up at Expo 2020 Dubai for New Year's Eve, but New Year's Day at the site will also be bustling.

From food deals to live performances and new art installations, there are myriad events for all the family to enjoy.

Here's a slice of what's on offer:

A trio of Arab artists

Emirati singer and oud player Jassim Mohammed will perform on New Year's Day at Expo. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

One of the day's biggest events is a performance by three Arab artists. Emirati soul musician Arqam, who plays the keyboard and guitar, will perform a set, followed by Saudi singer Hamza Hawsawi, who first found fame on The X Factor Arabia in 2013 with his blend of R&B and his home country's culture.

Emirati stalwart Jassim Mohammed, a singer and oud player who specialises in opera music, will also perform.

The concert takes place from 9.30pm at Jubilee Park.

Veganuary at Expo

A host of restaurants are putting on special vegan meal deals throughout January to mark the beginning of the UK initiative Veganuary, before a full vegan food festival kicks off at Expo on Friday, January 14.

Melbourne Lane at the Australia Pavilion, for example, is serving up hot or iced vegan-friendly lattes, plant-based Milo chocolate and fruit smoothies, plus Vegemite and Bega dairy-free cheese toasties.

Melbourne Lane at the Australia Pavilion will serve vegan treats throughout January. Pawan Singh / The National

Canvas by Coffee + Culture in the Opportunity District will have a purely vegan all-day menu, plus coffee from Emirati Coffee Roastery.

Adrift Burger Bar is offering to make "any burger vegan" throughout January with an Impossible Burger patty, plus vegan bun and toppings, from Dh75.

Over at the Singapore Pavilion's food kiosk, find vegan siew mai, char siew pau and satay, with prices from Dh20. The Korean restaurant at the country's pavilion is also serving up some plant-based Korean specials that cost Dh68 each.

Yemen country day

Yemen kicks off Expo 2020's countru day programme in 2022, as January 1 is dedicated to the Arab country. There will be Yemeni music and dance performances featuring four singers, including Hussain Moheb, one of the nation's biggest selling artists. Ten musicians and traditional Yemeni folkloric dancers will also perform.

The showcase takes place between 8pm and 11pm at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre.

A Belarusian folk ensemble

Over at the Belarus Pavilion, a performance by folk music ensemble Vytsinanka will take place between 11am and noon. It'll feature the regional folklore of the Polesie region, author's songs, plus various music styles.

Hungarian swing show

Group'n'Swing is a 10-piece band from Hungary who have represented their country at the Eurovision Song Contest several times. Now they're at Expo, showing off their blend of soul, pop, twist, rockabilly and, of course, swing.

Expect toe-tapping tunes and some eye-catching choreography at the shows, which are taking place at Sea Stage in the Mobility District from 2pm to 3pm on Saturday and again from 3.30pm to 4pm and 6pm to 6.30pm on Sunday.

Dogs with Dubai Police

A new activity for dog lovers has begun at Expo, running every Saturday until March 26. Head to the Main Smart Police Station to discover spaniels, cocker spaniels and border collies, and have your photos taken with the pooches.

It's at the 2020 Plaza in Al Wasl Zone and will take place from 6pm to 8pm on Saturday.

Scroll through our gallery below to see the "local gem" restaurants at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Sharjah-born architect, Pallavi Dean and her team at Roar designed 12 of the restaurants and cafes at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Ms Dean designed most of the UAE's home-grown restaurants at the Expo.
The interior space of Al Reef Lebanese Bakery has one wall made of terracotta bricks, as a nod towards the original.
The interior space of Dampa Seafood & Grill has a carnival atmosphere, with fishing nets hung from the ceiling.
Canvas by Coffee + Culture is one of the new concepts, but all the other designs are local gems - UAE restaurants reincarnated at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The interior space of the new concept cafe - Canvas by Coffee + Culture was designed to have the feel of a Parisian bistro.
Syrian eatery, Sarouja Restaurant and Cafe at the world's fair.

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.