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Expo 2020 Dubai records almost 9 million visits in first three months

From October 1 until December 31, almost 30 per cent of all visitors came from outside the UAE

January 4, 2022

Expo 2020 Dubai has recorded 8,958,132 visits during its first three months.

From October to December 2021, Expo hosted a total of 8,902 government leaders, including ministers, presidents, prime ministers and heads of state.

Almost half of all visits (47 per cent) have been generated by Expo’s Seasons Passes, with the number of repeat visits to the show in the first three months reaching 3.5 million, official news agency WAM reported.

Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We enter a new year having built solid friendships that will enable us to drive urgent action on some of the greatest challenges facing us all.

“And with the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone continuing to be of the highest priority, the numbers also reflect the strength of our ongoing stringent Covid-19 safety measures, which continue to protect visitors, staff and Expo participants alike.”

December highlights included fireworks and New Year’s Eve sets from DJs Armin van Buuren and Dmitri Vegas. The celebrations topped a month that began with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee and included a performance from Alicia Keys and a concert from A.R. Rahman.

From October 1 until December 31, almost one third (30 per cent) of all visitors came from outside the UAE, with the top international visitor countries including India, Germany, France, the UK, the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Many people also continue to travel to the site using RTA transport.

Between October 1 until end of December, almost 675,000 rides were made to and from the site using taxis, more than a million trips were made on the free Expo Rider bus service, and more than 3.4 million users entered and exited Expo via the Dubai Metro. Expo 2020’s virtual visitation crossed the 50 million mark, driven by Live@Expo.

Meanwhile, the Expo School Programme attracted 334,110 visits from private and public schools over 41 school days, representing around a third of the total student population in the UAE.

Read: Expo 2020 Dubai to offer curated programmes with free entry to all UAE school students

Expo 2020 Dubai runs until March 31, 2022, and is the very first world expo where every participating country has its own pavilion.

Read: Mobility: How Expo 2020 Dubai is beckoning a technology-led future

Each of the 192 country pavilions – spread across the three main districts of sustainability, mobility and opportunity – will have the chance to showcase their innovations and strategies.

Read: Opportunity: Expo 2020 Dubai is keen to usher in an inclusive tomorrow