The first world fair to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, opened to the public on Friday (October 1).
After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, Expo 2020 kicked off in Dubai with a lavish opening ceremony the night before.
The event, which follows the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy, is a showcase for culture, technology and architecture for almost 200 participating countries.
Dubai wants Expo 2020 to be a place where global challenges like climate change can be addressed.
The site has been built from scratch on 1.7 square miles of desert, at a cost of $6.8 billion dollars.
But health crisis worries could dent visitor numbers. Many events will be streamed online as a result.
The Gulf state has relaxed most coronavirus restrictions but face masks must be worn at the event and visitors over 18 must be vaccinated against COVID-19, or test negative for the virus.
Dubai, the region’s tourism, trade and business hub, is hoping to boost its economy by attracting 25 million business and tourist visits to the world fair.
Many countries and companies are also looking to the expo – the first major global event of its kind to open its doors to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic – to boost trade and investment.
