Expo 2020 Dubai is ready to go out with a bang on Thursday as it gears up for a fantastic finale set to deliver the biggest crowds of the six-month mega event.
A spectacular closing ceremony will feature global music stars on stage and fireworks lighting up the night sky on the 182nd and final day of the world's fair.
Called the 'greatest show on earth', the global gathering has enthralled visitors from across the Emirates and around the world.
Expo has offered a platform for countries great and small to share their cultures, customs and traditions and exhibit their plans for the future.
The party atmosphere will continue into the early hours of Friday, with the sprawling Dubai South site remaining open for dazzling firework displays at midnight and 3am.
Among the headline acts will be singers Christina Aguilera and Norah Jones and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with more than 20 giant screens to be set up across the Expo site to broadcast the shows.
Screens will be set up in areas such as the main stages, Festival Garden and various country pavilions.
Organisers said the screens would "enable everyone to experience the magic".
Metro trains will run around the clock on Thursday and Friday to handle crowds, with tens of thousands of people expected to visit the Expo site.
The celebrations are included in the price of a ticket that has allowed people to visit the event several times over the past month.
The evening's festivities will begin at 7pm with Mira Singh, the girl who starred in the opening ceremony, taking the audience on another compelling journey.
While details of the closing ceremony have been kept tightly under wraps, the Expo 2020 social media have shared teaser posters featuring Mira, promising a "spectacular" event.
"See global music icons, enjoy dazzling fireworks, and exciting performances unfold beneath the stunning Al Wasl Dome," Expo 2020's Instagram account posted on Sunday.
Nearly 23 million visits had been made to Expo by the start of this week after the more than one million visits recorded from Friday to Sunday.
Tourists and residents have lined up to be part of the largest global gathering since the start of the pandemic. A final tally of the number of visits will be released on April 1.
The impressive numbers were achieved despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dubai will pass on the baton to Japan, which will host the next world's fair in Osaka in 2025.
Japan’s expo team has closely watched Dubai’s successful and safe handling of a global event during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hiroyuki Ishige, Japan's Expo chief, told The National that Dubai presented a "new model" for future world expos and had attracted business interest with its diverse pavilion offerings.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
