More than 400,000 visits to Expo 2020 Dubai in first 10 days

One in three visitors came from abroad

Ruwwad Najib, 10, from India with his Expo 2020 Dubai passport. All Photos by Victor Besa / The National

Visitors enter the Australia Pavilion.

People interact with a robot at the Finland Pavilion.

Wattle the Koala welcomes visitors to the Australia Pavilion.

A performer at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Nieto children from Spain with their Expo 2020 Dubai passports.

Visitors enter the Australia Pavilion.

Visitors watch the ocean environmental awareness video at the Australia Pavilion.

Visitors interact with the light show at the Australia Pavilion.

Romanian traditional Cymbalom player, Nikulina Tudorache, at the Mobility Pavilion.

The Finland Pavilion.

Visitors watch the ocean environmental awareness video at the Australia Pavilion.

Expo 2020 Dubai is open until the end of March.

LIVE BLOG: Latest pictures and video from Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai recorded more than 400,000 visits in the first 10 days, figures show.

From October 1 to 10, a total of 411,768 ticketed visits were recorded – with one in five visiting the site in Dubai South more than once.

The world’s fair, which spans more than four square kilometres, welcomed 175 nationalities in its opening week.

“One in three visitors have come from abroad – which is a remarkable achievement,” Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications, said at Expo's daily briefing.

“These figures include all physical ticket holders but excludes representatives, delegations, guests from international participants as well Expo staff.

“Multi-day and season passes have proved popular with visitors and one in five people have already visited more than once, which is fantastic.”

About three million people logged on to the Virtual Expo platform to watch the opening ceremony of the world’s fair.

Ms McGeachin said Expo has had a “further five million visits” on its virtual platform in the first 10 days.

“Traditionally, Expo fairs tend to start slowly. We need to remember this is a six month event, so we are not expecting to receive all the visitors in one go,” she said.

“As we get into the nicer weather we expect visitation numbers to increase but so far we have been very encouraged by the number of families coming to visit the site.

“We have noticed that one of the main attractions is not just the pavilions but the children’s playground areas and we look forward to seeing more families enjoying what's on offer.

“As international routes open up in the next few months we will welcome more visitors from around the world, but we are absolutely delighted with the figures so far.”

During the first day, 53,000 visitors flooded through the entrance gates of the world’s fair and over the past week it has welcomed more than 175 different nationalities.

While in the opening week pupils and staff from various public and government schools in the UAE toured the site, Ms McGeachin said Expo had taken the decision to halt school visits for a few weeks until the heat subsides.

On Day 11 of the world's fair, the US pavilion showcased a rare copy of the Holy Quran, which was once owned by country's third president, Thomas Jefferson.

The book, dating back to 1764, is presented as two volumes and includes a framed map of Mecca.

Belonging to the Library of Congress in Washington DC, its unveiling at Expo also marked its debut in the Middle East.

The Quran travelled in a modern custom-made wooden crate, with four inches of padding and customised trays to protect it en route.

Football enthusiasts were in for a treat on Monday too, as Mikel Arteta, manager of Premier League club Arsenal, visited the Emirates airline pavilion.

The celebrated sportsman was welcomed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

Mr Arteta was given a tour of the digital experiences, centred on the future of aviation, and interacted with several installations and immersive displays.