Since its debut on October 1, the Expo 2020 Dubai has seen 5,663,960 visits up to December 5 – with recent figures buoyed by the UAE’s Golden Jubilee festivities and the nation’s wide variety of cultural performances.
Around 5,383 government leaders – including ministers, presidents, prime ministers and heads of state – have visited the Expo during October and November, most of which came to speak at official events or promote their respective nation’s own Expo National Day.
In just two months, the expo has already hosted a total of 10,461 events.
During his visit last week, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Expo 2020 Dubai for “organizing this exhibition and making it a success”.
The UAE’s Minister for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, Reem al-Hashimy, said: “We are delighted with the figures, and that so many people chose to celebrate such a momentous occasion, the UAE’s 50th National Day, with us here at Expo 2020 Dubai. Two months in, these numbers are a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in Expo, from the hosting of spectacular events that make people want to visit again and again, to the bringing together of global change-makers on a powerful platform for action and collaboration, and – crucially – to our robust COVID-19 measures, which allow us to accommodate such large numbers in a safe, reassuring manner.”
Up to 28 percent of November’s visitors came from outside the UAE, with the top nations being France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India and the UK.
Other major draws to the event in November included the likes of Egyptian singer Mohamed Hamaki, a KITE (K-Pop in the Emirates) concert, award-winning Pakistani musician Javed Bashir, the end of Riverdance’s run at the expo and a performance Accademia Teatro alla Scala, alongside an event where families can even race against world-famous sprinter Usain Bolt.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Expo also offered the Golden Jubilee’s ‘Journey of the 50th’ show held at the Al-Wasl dome, which traces the past, present and future of the UAE, and a 20 minute theatrical production titled the ‘The Boy and the Horse’, about the life of Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
Beyond entertainment, the Expo’s Program for People and Planet in November brings those eager for change with two of Expo 2020’s 10 Theme Weeks – Urban & Rural Development Week and Tolerance & Inclusivity Week, alongside activities recognizing World Children’s Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities and International Volunteer Day.
The Expo School Program has attracted nearly 250,000 pupils from private and public schools across the UAE who have participated in 10,000 dedicated school journeys: “The Legacy of the UAE”, “The World of Opportunities”, “The Universe in Motion” and “The Sustainable Planet”.
Talented youth have also taken to the stage as part of the Expo’s Young Stars and Rising Stars events.
Numbers are expected to rise further as Expo’s new AED 95 Festive Pass goes on sale until the end of December.
This gives visitors access to Christmas festivities and more world-class performances, such as Grammy Award-winner Alicia Keys’ show at Al Wasl Plaza on December 10, Academy Award-winning composer and musician A.R. Rahman on December 22 and Broadway superstar Lea Salonga on Christmas day, December 25.
As part of its sustainability goals the expo has facilitated travel using RTA transport.
During October and November, around 455,000 rides were made to and from the site using taxis, more than 600,000 trips were made on the free Expo Rider bus service, and 2.2 million users entered and exited Expo via the Dubai Metro.
And virtual visits topped 25 million thanks to Live@Expo, granting people a live virtual tour throughout the expo.
As the largest major global event to be held since the start of the pandemic, the Expo 2020 Dubai continues to maintain robust COVID-19 measures: these include the mandatory vaccinations of all Expo and International Participant staff, volunteers, contractors and service providers, while visitors aged 18 and above must present proof of any vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours.
Face masks are mandatory both indoor and outdoor, and Expo maintains on site sanitation stations.
