Expo 2020 Dubai recorded more than 24 million visits in its six months after a surge to the world's fair in the final weeks.
The tally of 24,102,967 visits is short of the pre-event goal of 25 million, which looked likely with one million visits in three days on the final weekend.
The 200-plus pavilions spanning the site — including those representing 192 nations — proved to be the major attractions.
Long queues formed at some of the most popular pavilions in the closing weeks, as visitors relished the opportunity to explore the site once more.
Performances by Coldplay, Alicia Keys and Mehad Hamad, appearances by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, and the annual World Government Summit helped to increase numbers.
A spectacular closing ceremony, star-studded concerts and firework displays brought down the curtain on the event on Thursday.
The celebration of cultures, innovation and ingenuity captured the imagination of people across the UAE and visitors from overseas.
Weekly visit numbers regularly topped 1 million in the second half of the six-month extravaganza, as fans made the most of their chance to soak up the carnival atmosphere.
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Air show display on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -

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 -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 -

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

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

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

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

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

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 -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visitors approach Al Wasl Plaza. Pawan Singh / The National -

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

Visitors on the last day at the EXPO 2020 site in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Season pass boost
Figures released by Expo 2020 on Saturday revealed that one in every three visitors was from overseas. Organisers said there were visitors from 178 countries.
The most popular country for international visitors was India, followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia, France and the US.
Expo said 49 per cent of visits were repeats, with 70 per cent entering the site using the Season Pass.
For the final 50 days of Expo, organisers introduced a Dh50 Season Finale Pass that proved to be popular with visitors.
Expo said 22 per cent of visitors used the one-day ticket, while eight per cent used the multi-day pass.
Children (under 18) made up 18 per cent of all visits. Almost one million pupils visited as part of the Expo Schools Programme, which was suspended for most of January because schools’ activities were halted temporarily as a precaution when coronavirus infections surged.
Organisers said senior citizens (above 60) made up 3 per cent of all visits, and the oldest visitor was 98.
People with disabilities accounted for 107,000 visits, while virtual visits reached more than 200 million.
Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion awards winners — in pictures
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Gold Award: Saudi Arabia, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Switzerland, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: China, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Netherlands, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Silver Award: Austria, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Bronze Award: Gulf Co-operation Council, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Gold Award: Singapore pavilion, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Architecture & Landscape. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Silver Award: Finland, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Architecture & Landscape. Pawan Singh/The National -

Bronze Award: Qatar, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Architecture & Landscape. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Japan, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Victor Besa/The National. -
Silver Award: Pakistan, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Bronze Award: Spain, self-built pavilions, Category A (larger than 2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Peru, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750m2-2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Silver Award: Poland, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750m2-2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Bronze Award: Egypt, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750m2-2,500m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Morocco, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Algeria, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Palestine, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Exhibition Design. Photo: Wam -

Gold Award: Mexico, Rented pavilions, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Latvia, Rented pavilions, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Montenegro, Rented pavilions, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Tonga, Thematic District pavilions, Opportunity, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thematic District pavilions, Opportunity, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Fiji, Thematic District pavilions, Opportunity, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Seychelles, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Exhibition Design. Pawan Singh/The National -

Silver Award: Cambodia, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Surinam, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Holy See, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Cote d’Ivoire, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Exhibition Design. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Jamaica, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Exhibition Design. Victor Besa / The National -

Gold Award: Germany, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Pawan Singh / The National -

Silver Award: Kazakhstan, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Italy, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Pawan Singh / The National -

Gold Award: Oman, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Theme Interpretation. Pawan Singh / The National -
Silver Award: Hungary, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Theme Interpretation. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Bronze Award: Sweden, self-built pavilions, Category B (1,750-2,500m2), Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Malaysia, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Theme Interpretation. Pawan Singh/The National -

Silver Award: Lithuania, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Colombia, self-built pavilions, Category C (smaller than 1,750m2), Theme Interpretation. Antonie Robertson / The National -

Gold Award: Syria, Rented pavilions, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Gabon, Rented pavilions, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Vietnam, Rented pavilions, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Rwanda, Thematic District pavilions, Opportunity, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Ethiopia, Thematic District pavilions, Opportunity, Theme Interpretation. Pawan Singh / The National -

Bronze Award — Kyrgyzstan, Thematic District pavilions — Opportunity, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: Yemen, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Guinea, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Comoros, Thematic District pavilions, Sustainability, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Gold Award: El Salvador, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Silver Award: Moldova, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -

Bronze Award: Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, Thematic District pavilions, Mobility, Theme Interpretation. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
AWARDS
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
While you're here
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Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies































