Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes 1.47 million visits in first 24 days

Expo 2020 Dubai has welcomed 1,471,314 visits in its first 24 days.

The numbers were backed by Expo’s Space Week, music and cultural performances, a public holiday long weekend and the half-term school break.

Shedding spotlight on the space sector, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre staged a series of debates on the challenges and opportunities offered by the commercialisation of the sector.

The themed week also featured nebula music, star-gazing and a chance for visitors to hear from the UAE’s first astronauts – the first female Emirati astronaut, Nora Al Matrooshi, and the first Emirati in space, Hazza Al Mansouri. The Knights, the UAE’s aerobatic display team, and their Saudi counterparts the Saudi Falcons, also staged a show in the skies above the Expo site, a statement said.

. @expo2020dubai attracts 1.5 million visitors in 24 Days. #Dubai pic.twitter.com/M2MZBjopte

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 25, 2021

Children made up about one quarter of visits to the Expo site over the school break, attracted by activities including a coaching programme by cricketing unit Rajasthan Royals and Turn Up & Play football sessions hosted by coaches from Manchester City, as well as attractions at Al Forsan Park and other venues.

The long weekend saw crowds attending a performance by Expo 2020’s all-female Firdaus Orchestra, composition by India’s A.R. Rahman as well as British singer-songwriter Sami Yusuf, who was joined by musicians from around the world for his ‘Beyond the Stars’ show. Meanwhile, Iraqi Kadim Al Sahir kickstarted Expo 2020 Dubai’s spectacular Infinite Nights series, the statement added.

Expo 2020 Dubai opened its doors on October 1, following a ceremony on September 30, featuring talent from the UAE, the Middle East and around the world.

Read: Video: Expo 2020 Dubai opening ceremony

Continuing to bring Expo 2020 Dubai to a global digital audience, the number of virtual visitors has risen to 10.8 million since October 1, up from 9.3 million last week.

Expo 2020, being held under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, is hosting 192 countries. Its three main sub-themes are mobility, sustainability and opportunity.

Read: All you need to know about Expo 2020 Dubai