The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Expo 2020 Dubai, opened last Friday (1) with a ceremony of fireworks, music, and a message about the power of global collaboration for a more sustainable future. 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 Expo which has been built from scratch on 4.3 km2 of desert. Many countries and companies are also looking forward to the Expo – the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic – to boost trade and investment. Chosen eight years ago to follow the 2015 Expo in Milan, Italy, the event cost around $ 6.8 billion. However, Expo still officially expects to attract more visits than Milan received and more than twice the population of the UAE.

Source: The Nation October 03, 2021 18:33 UTC