Six months on, the Expo 2020 Dubai made its final curtain call. Tens of thousands of people gathered to give the show a grand send-off party as they reflected and celebrated the world’s biggest show.
With over 30,000 events held over the last 180 days, the Expo 2020 Dubai exceeded expectations in the past six months. The event has the biggest international participation ever and its legacy of successfully hosting the largest global gathering since the pandemic that brought 190 countries from around the world together and registered over 23 million visits since it opened in October last year, will continue forever.
The event has not only generated learnings for future expos but has become a powerful symbol of national pride and has reimagined the idea of Expo into something bigger: Expo Forever.
Addressing the crowds in an audio message that boomed over the mega fair His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, .“Today is not the end of Expo 2020 Dubai, but a new beginning. We portrayed to the world a different version of ingenuity that touched the hearts and minds of every member of society.”
“Our sons and daughters have proven their ability to overcome unprecedented difficulties and challenges. And in every moment of this journey, we reflected the values of the UAE – values of affection and hospitality.”
Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of Bureau International des Expositions, said Expo 2020 will be an event that future organisers “will look to aspire to”.
The closing ceremony saw spell-bounding fireworks and world-class entertainment taking over the stage under the stunning Al Wasl Dome, as the curtains came down on the ‘world’s greatest show’ in befitting style.
With a team led by creative visionary Franco Dragone, the closing ceremony sought to reflect how Expo 2020 Dubai has touched the lives of all who have visited, while heightening the myriad of memories made on site.
Using pioneering technology, immersive laser projectors, emotive music and no less than three firework displays, the ceremony highlighted the pivotal moments of Expo 2020 Dubai through a series of flashbacks, including the ‘Journey of the 50’ (Expo 2020 Dubai’s Golden Jubilee Show) and scenes from the ‘Boy and the Horse’ to the floating piano player. Children, symbolising the future of the nation, led the way for the closing ceremony. A multi-sensory show featured the same young ‘Emirati’ girl from the opening ceremony, who has “grown, learned and connected with people from around the world”.
It was announced that more than a million visitors headed to the over 192 pavilions, over just three days, a week before the grand finale, to see the latest in science and tech from various countries before the finale. Its busiest weekend across its entire six months saw a total number of visits to 22,937,830.
This means the first expo in the Middle East has fulfilled its commitment to attract between 22.9 million and 25.4 million visits, a target range set out in the registration dossier that was officially ratified by Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member states in 2015. The numbers are a remarkable achievement in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Maha Al Gargawi, Senior Vice President of Political Affairs at Expo 2020, said the six-month-long world fair that opened on October 1, 2021, garnered around 200 million virtual visits and 200 plus participating countries and organisations.
“It is the highest number of international participants in the history of world expos. It has been quite an achievement and I think it really showcases what the United Arab Emirates is really capable of doing,” she said.
Gargawi added that Expo 2020 has cemented the UAE’s position as a global power and shows the strong bilateral relations the emirates enjoy with world nations. “It is a reflection of the belief that all these nations worldwide have in a country that recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee. It is a reflection of what is possible in a country that is only 50 years old,” she said.
Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Expo offered a platform for social connect and collaboration for many.
The UAE was recently rated as of the safest country in the world, according to report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). This has been supported by its renowned air transport infrastructure, its position as a gateway for Europeans to Africa, the Middle East and Asia and personal and natural security as well as risk factors stemming from COVID-19. The Expo 2020 gave several countries a platform to highlight their sustainable development goals, address energy crisis, digital connectivity, and girls’ education among others.
And as the curtains fall on the mega event, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, handed over the BIE flag to Ambassador Jai-chul Choi and Dimitri Kerkentzes, respectively President of the General Assembly and Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), who will present it to representatives of Expo 2025 Osaka.
District 2020: The future
As Dubai said its goodbyes to Expo 2020, it is getting ready to welcome District 2020, a new ‘smart city’ that will take shape in and around the Expo venue, that promises to emerge as the next big thing in the city.
It begins dismantling the non-legacy structures and re-purposing the entire Expo site. Multiple contractors and project management teams will get busy on the site for the tearing down works, which could take between three to six months, depending on the ‘size and complexity’ of these buildings.
This will allow the operators of District 2020 to welcome their first tenants to move into the offices from October. Companies including DP World and Siemens will have their offices located at this prestigious address as District 2020 readies to reposition itself as a full-scale innovation hub. Some of the legacy buildings like the UAE Pavilion and the Mobility and Sustainability structures will continue to stay in place.
Currently, at least 10 to 12 pavilions have confirmed to stay but the numbers are expected to rise. The entire area boasts of incredible infrastructure with roads, parking, utilities well in place as well as the iconic Al Wasl Plaza with the adjoining 10-storey ‘hospitality buildings’, including the Rove Hotel, the Observation Tower, the water feature located in the central section of Expo, and further, facilities within Al Forsan and Jubilee parks, the Dubai Exhibition Center, the Metro station and much more, making it an enviable address.
