Expo 2020 Dubai thrills the world with a send-off to remember

A stunning closing ceremony to end the world's fair looked to the future with optimism

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  Closing fireworks at Expo 2020 Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Stunning fireworks display brought the curtain down on the world's fair on Thursday night. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Actress Mira Singh and dancers perform at the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai. EPA

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  Musician Yo-Yo Ma performs during the Expo 2020 Dubai closing ceremony. AP

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  Artists perform during the closing ceremony of Expo 2020. AFP

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  Artists perform during the Expo 2020 Dubai closing ceremony. AP

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  Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, arrives at the closing ceremony of Expo 2020. AFP

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  Artists perform during the closing ceremony in Dubai. AP

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  A visitor take photos during the closing ceremony. EPA

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  Artists perform during the closing ceremony. Reuters

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  Dancers perform during the official closing ceremony. EPA

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  Artists perform during the closing ceremony of Expo Dubai 2020. Reuters

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  Fireworks and lightshow at the closing of Expo 2020 Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Fireworks and lightshow at the closing of Expo 2020 Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Fireworks and lightshow at the closing of Expo 2020 Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

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  Norah Jones performs during the Expo 2020 Dubai closing ceremony on Thursday night. Getty Images

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  An artist performs in the spectacular Al Wasl Dome during the ceremony. Reuters

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  Christina Aguilera was among several international artists who performed on Thursday night. Getty Images

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  Christina Aguilera lights up Al Wasl Dome. Getty Images

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  Artists perform during the ceremony. Reuters

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  A spectacular show featuring hundreds of performers brought the curtain down on the world's fair. Reuters

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  A full orchestra was among the performers in Al Wasl Dome. Reuters

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  The stunning stage for the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai is set. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Thousands of visitors enjoyed Expo's farewell night. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Organisers pulled out all the stops for a memorable finale. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  The show could be seen from around the Expo site. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  A big screen showed the spectacle to visitors around the site. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Musicians perform before the closing ceremony. Reuters

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  People visit the Saudi Arabia pavilion on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. AP

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  The interactive floor at the Saudi Arabia pavilion. AP

As an ending it was as spectacular as the beginning, with a message that Dubai’s welcome to the world does not finish with Expo 2020.

The city gave the world's fair a send-off to remember with a stunning closing ceremony on Thursday night.

After 182 days of festivities, the curtain came down before an audience of tens of thousands — and a global viewership of millions.

Today is not the end of Expo 2020 but a new beginning

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

At the closing finale, the audience continued on a metaphorical journey, led by a young actress, Mira Singh, that they first began on a humid night on September 30, 2021.

With only a brief nod to the past, the audience was thrust into the future with optimism amid strife and conflict around the globe.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said in a recorded voiceover: "Today is not the end of Expo 2020 but a new beginning."

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai echoed that by saying: “Endings are new beginnings; this is how we envision paths for many achievements to come."

Christina Aguilera performs during the closing ceremony. EPA

A performance by cellist Yo-Yo Ma of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World' drew a rousing applause from the crowd.

The show included performances from singer Norah Jones and pop star Christina Aguilera. All three will play concerts later in the evening.

Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, which since 1928 has overseen the world's fair, said Dubai had thrown everything into the effort to make the event a success.

“It’s clear that we have set a new bar here — it’s something I believe [Expo 2025 Osaka] will look to aspire to,” Mr Kerkentzes said on the final day.

“Every Expo is different, but you have to think of what has been achieved here. This is something that we will think about for many, many years to come — to have some kind of strong impact on the future.”

Expo made the world a little bit bigger

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  Air show display on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Nearly 23 million visits had been made to Expo by the start of this week after the more than one million visits recorded from Friday to Sunday. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The Expo has hosted 30,000 events, including government summits and 5,000 sporting fixtures. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A spectacular closing ceremony will be 'end of a beautiful journey' for Expo 2020 Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Green spaces and architecture at day of Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Green spaces and architecture at day of Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Green spaces and architecture at day of Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  It's a party atmosphere for the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Some funky costumes to mark the end of the hugely successful event in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Big screens put up on the last day of the world's fair in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  People flock to the merchandise outlet on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Kids enjoying the dance class at the Sustainability pavilion as Expo 2020 Dubai nears its conclusion. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai could watch the closing ceremony on more than 20 giant screens across the site, including at the Jubilee Stage, Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre and Festival Garden. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors enjoy the water feature on the last day. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors arrive for the expo's final day. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Crowds on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Visitors arrive at the world's fair for the last time. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Preparations going on for the closing ceremony at Al Wasl Plaza. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Reem Al Hashimy, centre, Minister of State for International Co-operation and director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, on the final day of the Expo. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

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  Ms Al Hashimy opens the Sustainability Portal on the Expo's final day. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

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  Visitors queue to enter the site on the final day. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Expo staff at the site entrances faced a busy start to the final day. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors queue at the security gate. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Early arrivals on the final day of the world fair. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors taking selfies to record their presence on the final day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Dubai police prepare for the final day at the world's fair. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors approach Al Wasl Plaza. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A rare opportunity to capture a quiet moment at Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors on the last day at the EXPO 2020 site in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

If the coronavirus pandemic made the world a smaller place, Expo made it a little bigger for people unable to travel as they once had.

They sampled South Korean noodles, were told of Germany's plans for a greener world, and learnt how Africa's nations are harnessing technology at a dramatic pace.

From Pakistani rock to Filipino pop, bands flew in from the four corners of the world to play at Jubilee Park.

In a city in which every nationality was represented, there was still novelty in hearing a dizzying blend of Mongolian, Chinese, Albanian, Finnish, Shona, not to mention the languages of little-known Polynesian islands — all spoken in a square block.

The prospect of a final glimpse of the fair, which is the size of 600 football fields, led many people to take a day off work. Thousands of children on their spring break school holidays were among the crowds.

Visitor numbers edge towards target

Final visitor numbers will not be released for several days. But the event is known to have inched close to hitting its target of 25 million visits. In the space of three days last week, a million gate entrances were recorded.

Although most of Dubai's coronavirus restrictions had eased by October 1, 2021, lockdowns in Europe, Asia and elsewhere made for a quiet opening three months.

By late December, nine million visits had been recorded.

But officials said from the start, based on research and testimony from world fair authority Bureau International des Expositions, that the second half would be busier.

As of Sunday, March 29, there had been 23 million gate entrances. Expo counts visits rather than visitors, and says many are repeat customers.

Fans loved every minute

Crowds wait to enter Expo 2020 on March 31, 2022, the final day of the world's fair. Pawan Singh / The National

Expo captured the imagination of many visitors, with some returning time and time again to see more, ticking off the countries with stamps in the famous yellow passport.

Tanmayi Kamath and her son Reyaansh Pai are Expo super fans. They visited every weekend since January and took in every one of the 192 country pavilions. They also visited pavilions such as DP World and Vision, taking that number to 215.

She said: “We visited the first time in November and we were just overwhelmed. Every time we visited it we fell in love with it a little bit more.

“I love to travel, so for me it was a place to see many countries and see their cultures in one place.

“I got to meet a lot of people, I got to taste a lot of cuisines.

“We've just loved it.”

What next for the Expo site?

While many of the large pavilions will be packed up or pulled down in the coming months, a significant number of the buildings will remain in an area called District 2020.

The structures around Al Wasl Plaza dome will remain, as will the lattice centrepiece itself, and others such as the Rove hotel.

Spreading out from that, the concrete low-rise towers that housed many of the smaller country pavilions will be transformed into workspaces and offices for 85 start-up companies. By October, a number of them will have moved into the site.

There are further plans to transform the upper floors of those buildings into loft-style apartments, while 2,800 residences in the Expo staff village will be rented out.

Artist's impression of a residential public space at District 2020. Photo: District 2020

Officials say the public will be able to visit the legacy site freely — even though it will take on a different form as a 15-minute city, and a living and working suburb of Dubai.

Al Wasl Plaza, in particular, has a future as an exhibition or concert space.

“Al Wasl became an icon,” Tareq Ghosheh, Dubai Expo 2020 chief events and entertainment officer, told The National.

He would not reveal precise future plans for the site, which hosted a concert by pop stars Coldplay, but said the public would see it in all its glory again soon.

“This is a one-of-a-kind venue that not too many places will have, or will ever have,” he said.

“Al Wasl has its own plans, the district has plans and it will fit into the bigger plans of Dubai.”