Dubai’s Expo 2020 is set to kick off on Friday, 1 October. The event, which takes place somewhere on the planet once every five years, will run for six months and will be open seven days a week.
Hosting the Expo in a post-pandemic world would create a platform to share ideas and strengthen relations when the world needs it the most. This is anticipated to be great opportunity for innovative thinkers and business houses to reconvene and collaborate on brilliant programmes and initiatives.
Before the pandemic, the consultancy EY forecast that the Expo would, over the course of its six months, contribute 1.5% of the UAE’s gross domestic product.
Dubai still officially expects 25 million visitors, more than Milan received and more than twice the population of the United Arab Emirates. All those over 18 will have to be vaccinated against coronavirus or test negative to enter.
But James Swanston, an economist at Capital Economics, said the continuing obstacles to foreign travel meant the economic boost was likely to fall short of projections.
Expo 2020 is set to be the largest event to be held in the Arab world, with nearly 200 countries setting up pavilions to showcase innovations and achievements.
Dubai, a regional business and tourism hub, is relying on the global fair to give its economy a boost.
The sale of tickets started on July 18, with Expo 2020 proposing three tiers of tickets: One-day tickets at $26, month-long tickets at $53 and six-month tickets at $135.
Expo 2020 has said its workers must have had COVID-19 vaccinations but that will not be mandatory for visitors.
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