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

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
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
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
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
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.

West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour

Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain

Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg