Visitors who missed six-month world's fair awestruck by tour of Dubai Expo City

Dubai Expo City welcomed dozens of visitors on Saturday, with many stepping foot on the site for the first time.

Those who visited Expo 2020 Dubai during its six-month duration said returning to the site stoked fond memories of the world's fair. But for those who missed it, it was a chance to get a feel of the historic event.

Holidaying in Dubai with his family, Unnikrishnan Govinad, 79, from India, said it was a dream come true visiting Dubai Expo City as he was only able to watch the expo from afar on his TV at home.

I came nine times during the mega-event and my boys really enjoyed the robots. It's a cool thing to be able to do it again

Nick Sheppard,
New Zealand

He spent his first day in Dubai visiting the newly opened, pedestrianised city.

“I heard about it and never had the chance to see it in real life,” he told The National.

“I’m very happy to be here and I'm glad I had the chance to come with my wife and my nephew, who is a resident here in the UAE.

“I couldn't miss this opportunity.”

Although the day began quietly, groups of visitors started to enter the legacy site from late morning.

Unnikrishnan Govinad (middle) with his wife and other family members inside the Sustainability pavilion at Expo City Dubai.

While much of the area is still closed until next month's official relaunch, there is plenty on offer for those looking to spend a few hours exploring the site.

Tours inside the two pavilions that are currently open to the public — Terra and Alif — remain popular with visitors. Entrance fees for the pavilions are Dh50 each.

At about 11am, New Zealander Nick Sheppard, 39, arrived with his wife and two children. He had his sights set on the pavilions.

With help of the free buggy tours on offer, Mr Sheppard and his family were able to move around the city with ease.

“I came nine times during the mega-event and my boys really enjoyed the robots. It's a cool thing to be able to do it again,” he said.

“I decided to come despite the hot weather.”

Expo City Dubai, the UAE’s first fully pedestrianised neighbourhood, opened its doors to the public on Thursday, with free entry for all.

For Russian resident Evgenii Gusarov, 45, it was interesting to visit the site and see how it had been transformed after Expo closed its doors to the public in March.

“It is interesting to see how the project developed through the [months]. I visited many pavilions during Expo and wanted to see what happened to the whole area,” he said.

“I visited the Terra pavilion six times. It is my favourite pavilion.”

He came with his friend Irina Tsyplakova, who was visiting the area for the first time.

Ahmed Mahgoub, 41, from Sudan, has lived in the UAE for 11 years. He visited the world's fair 25 times between October last year and March this year.

“This is my chance to see it again. My friend came for a visit and I brought him to see the site. It became a popular tourist destination as many people across the globe heard about it,” he said.

Saturday was the first time touring the site for Filipino Noel Cosico, 37. He didn't visit during the world's fair owing to worries about Covid-19.

“I came with my brother to see the site when I heard it opened. I live and work in Abu Dhabi and didn’t have the chance to come before, due to Covid-19. It is nice being here and seeing what people were talking about,” Mr Cosico said.

For those that wish to visit without the heavy crowds, gates open every day from 10am to 5.30pm.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

More from Neighbourhood Watch:

A rare glimpse of Bedouin life in the humble border town of Qoa

The changing face of Mussaffah

Hatta, where present and past collide

How old Dubai moved with the times and kept its heart

While you're here

Aya Iskandarani: Why debates on sovereignty and neutrality are being had in Lebanon and Iraq

Michael Young: Lebanon's sectarian divides are deep, but most in the country want neutrality

How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?

If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.