The legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai was back in the spotlight on Saturday morning as four pavilions from the world's fair reopened to the public.
Expo City Dubai officially opened one year on from the start of the world's fair and guests were able to revisit their favourite attractions, including the Surreal water feature, as the repurposed site opened a new chapter.
About 50 Expo City Dubai staff and their families opened the Sustainability Entry Portal at 9am, welcoming the public to the city's latest district.
Although the first morning at Expo City Dubai did not come close to the hectic scenes of the world's fair itself, there was still a palpable buzz around the site as several eager visitors got there early to beat the heat.
We’ve also got landmark pavilions open with many more pavilions opening over the coming months
Sholto Douglas-Home,
Expo City Dubai
Guests could take tours of four main attractions on Saturday morning: Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion; Alif, the Mobility Pavilion; Vision; and the Women’s Pavilion.
Later this evening, Al Wasl Dome will "reawaken" with a light show.
“Today is a very significant day because it marks the opening of Expo City Dubai, six months after Expo 2020 Dubai closed,” said Sholto Douglas-Home, the site's chief sales and communications officer.
“We’ve gone from a six-month-long global event, with millions of visitors, to opening a city.
“We have a number of iconic attractions open that people know and love from the Expo event, including the colossal Al Wasl Dome that we’re going to reawaken with stunning projections on.
“We’ve also got landmark pavilions open with many more pavilions opening over the coming months.”
Although most of the pavilions from the world’s fair are no longer open to visitors — several are completely gone — visitors are free to walk around the site.
The low-key nature of Expo City Dubai’s opening could not be further from the hustle and bustle of the world’s fair but that was exactly the point, according to Mr Douglas-Home.
“We don’t have a target number of visitors because we’re a city now and the idea is that people can just come here and walk around,” he said.
“Some of the pavilions from Expo are not reopening but they are still extraordinary architectural structures that can be admired.
“Many people have already visited the pavilions before and we’re expecting them to come back just to remind themselves of the experience.”
Soft opening
Although Saturday morning was the official opening of Expo City Dubai, the site has been open at a reduced capacity to the public since the beginning of September.
“We had a soft opening in September with two pavilions open to the public — Vision and Sustainability,” Mr Douglas-Home said.
“It was more to give our staff training and to accommodate interest from schools.
“The weather wasn’t really conducive to having many visitors but it allowed us to tweak car parking arrangements and make sure we were ready for a higher flow of visitors.”
Admission to Expo City Dubai is free but visitors can expect to pay Dh50 ($14) for entry to each pavilion, with a day pass for all attractions available for Dh120.
Once the weather improves, the number of visitors to the site will increase, Mr Douglas-Home said.
“It’s still hot right now but we expect to see a lot more visitors in the winter once it cools down."
He added that the attractions and facilities would continue to grow over time.
There were more than 200 food outlets during the six months of Expo, so visitors on Saturday morning had understandably fewer options.
Officials said the onsite restaurants on Saturday were Emirati outlet Al Fanar, Ecco Pizza and Pasta, and Grand Beirut, along with five food trucks.
More relaxed
Among the first visitors through the gates on Saturday morning was tourist Rishabh Shah, 39, from India.
“We were here for the Expo itself last year and couldn’t wait to come back,” he said.
“We were so impressed that we couldn’t wait to return.
“It was much more crowded last time and now we can walk around in a more relaxed environment. It’s a lot more fun like this.”
Also making sure they were among the early birds were Ramanuragi Lohariwala and his wife Devanshi Thard, on holiday from India.
“It’s a great place to learn about other countries and their cultures, as well as finding out about what future technologies are going to be like,” Mr Lohariwala said.
“We are excited to be here at Expo City and see what it is all about.”
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
MADAME%20WEB
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Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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