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
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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.
