• Visitor numbers have surged as the world's fair entered its final week, with more than 1.8 million visits in one week. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Visitor numbers have surged as the world's fair entered its final week, with more than 1.8 million visits in one week. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Children make a splash at Expo 2020 Dubai.
    Children make a splash at Expo 2020 Dubai.
  • Visitors record footage of Expo attractions as souvenirs of the event.
    Visitors record footage of Expo attractions as souvenirs of the event.
  • Crowds gather to enjoy one of the final Fridays at Expo 2020 Dubai. With a week to go, more than 20 million visits had been recorded.
    Crowds gather to enjoy one of the final Fridays at Expo 2020 Dubai. With a week to go, more than 20 million visits had been recorded.
  • The world's fair offers something for visitors of all ages, say organisers.
    The world's fair offers something for visitors of all ages, say organisers.
  • The spectacular Saudi Arabia pavilion has been a top attraction throughout the Expo's six-month run.
    The spectacular Saudi Arabia pavilion has been a top attraction throughout the Expo's six-month run.
  • With the surge in visit numbers, organisers believe the final tally will be close to the original 25 million target.
    With the surge in visit numbers, organisers believe the final tally will be close to the original 25 million target.
  • Visitors line up to visit the Palestine pavilion.
    Visitors line up to visit the Palestine pavilion.
  • Expo visitors explore the site and enjoy the atmosphere.
    Expo visitors explore the site and enjoy the atmosphere.
  • The German pavilion has been one of the most popular at Expo 2020 Dubai.
    The German pavilion has been one of the most popular at Expo 2020 Dubai.
  • Expo 2020 Dubai is the place to be and to be seen.
    Expo 2020 Dubai is the place to be and to be seen.
  • Visitors enjoy a day out at Expo 2020 Dubai.
    Visitors enjoy a day out at Expo 2020 Dubai.
  • Young Expo visitors make racing cars at the Family Place.
    Young Expo visitors make racing cars at the Family Place.
  • A family having fun at the Expo.
    A family having fun at the Expo.
  • Party time at the world's fair on Friday. Special events have been lined up before Expo 2020 Dubai ends on March 31.
    Party time at the world's fair on Friday. Special events have been lined up before Expo 2020 Dubai ends on March 31.

UAE

Expo 2020

Expo 2020 Dubai records one million visits in three days to close in on 25 million target

Visit numbers rose to about 23 million after Expo's busiest weekend

The National

March 29, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Expo 2020 Dubai recorded more than one million visits between Friday and Sunday as crowds flocked to the mega-event on its final weekend.

The six-month extravaganza has now recorded nearly 23 million visits since it opened in October, closing in fast on a target of 25 million.

Long queues formed at some of the most popular pavilions as visitors relished the opportunity to explore the sprawling site once more.

It proved to be the busiest weekend of the event so far, with numbers set to soar further in the final days.

Visit numbers now stand at 22,937,830. This means the first expo in the region has fulfilled its commitment to attract between 22.9 million and 25.4 million visits, a target set out in the registration dossier officially ratified by Bureau International des Expositions member states in 2015.

The achievement comes amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Expo to end in style

  • Singer Christina Aguilera performs during a World Aids Day concert in Inglewood, California, last year. Reuters
    Singer Christina Aguilera performs during a World Aids Day concert in Inglewood, California, last year. Reuters
  • Aguilera at the Latin Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November. Reuters
    Aguilera at the Latin Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November. Reuters
  • The US musician will perform at the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday. EPA
    The US musician will perform at the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday. EPA
  • Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs at the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, in Washington. EPA
    Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs at the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, in Washington. EPA
  • Award winning cellist Yo-yo Ma, right, speaks to students at Al Rabeeh School in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Al Rabeeh school
    Award winning cellist Yo-yo Ma, right, speaks to students at Al Rabeeh School in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Al Rabeeh school
  • Ma will also perform at the Expo closing ceremony. The National
    Ma will also perform at the Expo closing ceremony. The National
  • Norah Jones performs during a tour in India to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. AFP
    Norah Jones performs during a tour in India to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. AFP
  • American singer Jones is another star expected to play at the world's fair. AP
    American singer Jones is another star expected to play at the world's fair. AP

The impressive figures are set to rise, with the spectacular closing ceremony still to come.

The event's final day will include a dazzling display by the UAE Air Force’s Fursan Al Emarat aerobatics team and performances by music stars Christina Aguilera, Norah Jones and Yo-Yo Ma.

The Expo 2020 World String Ensemble and Italian pianist Eleonora Constantini will also be featured among the closing ceremony events.

Visitors will be able to watch on more than 20 giant screens across the site, including at the Jubilee Stage, Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, Festival Garden and various country pavilions.

The world's fair will remain open for firework displays at midnight and 3am.

Metro trains will run around the clock on Thursday and Friday to handle crowds, with tens of thousands of people expected to visit Expo.

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.

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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HOW TO WATCH

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%3Cp%3EThe%20Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%2C%20University%20College%20London%20and%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Charity%20and%20was%20made%20possible%20thanks%20to%20a%20generous%20%C2%A360%20million%20gift%20in%202014%20from%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20General%20Women's%20Union%2C%20President%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Council%20for%20Motherhood%20and%20Childhood%2C%20and%20Supreme%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Family%20Development%20Foundation.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)

Match is live on BeIN Sports

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
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Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

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Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

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OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE

1. Liverpool 101 points

2. Manchester City 80 

3. Leicester 67

4. Chelsea 63

5. Manchester United 61

6. Tottenham 58

7. Wolves 56

8. Arsenal 56

9. Sheffield United 55

10. Everton 50

11. Burnley 49

12. Crystal Palace 49

13. Newcastle 46

14. Southampton 44

15. West Ham 39

16. Brighton 37

17. Watford 36

18. Bournemouth 36

19. Aston Villa 32

20. Norwich City 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Hajj 

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Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

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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. 

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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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