Expo 2020 Dubai begins in extravagant show
Published: 05:09 PM,Sep 30,2021 | EDITED : 09:09 PM,Sep 30,2021
People visit the site of Expo 2020, on September 30, 2021, on the day of its opening in Dubai on Thursday. -- AFP
Dubai: Dubai opened its extravagant Expo 2020 on Thursday with a flashy opening ceremony of fireworks and lights displays as it attempts to woo the world despite the pandemic.
The domed Al Wasl Plaza, centrepiece of the vast Expo site, was lit by spectacular projections as Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum declared the $7 billion event open.
Architectural marvels and a long list of technological innovations will feature among the exhibits, showcasing the ingenuity and technological innovations of the participating countries.
The first world fair was held in London in 1851, when it was housed in the purpose-built Crystal Palace, and the Paris edition of 1889 featured the Eiffel Tower, at first intended as a temporary attraction.
Expo 2020 will be indelibly tinged by the pandemic, with masks and social distancing mandatory on site. Visitors will need to be vaccinated or have a negative PCR test to enter.
The United Arab Emirates, population 10 million, has reported rapidly dwindling coronavirus cases in recent weeks, dropping below 300 on Sunday -- less than half the figure a fortnight earlier.
The fair is another feather in the cap for Dubai, which has long strived for recognition with achievements such as the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building at 828 metres (2,717 feet).
The postponement has worked out well in one respect for the UAE, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding on December 2.
Workers have been putting the final touches on infrastructure and facilities at the site this week as the clock ticked down to the delayed launch.
A succession of politicians, business leaders, celebrities and sports people are expected at the Expo, whose diverse attractions include the Harlem Globetrotters and a Chinese robot panda.
A full-scale hyperloop cabin, touted as the future of long-distance travel and transport, is among the exhibits, while Egypt has imported an ancient coffin from pharaonic days.
China has one of the largest pavilions -- a LED-lit, lamp-shaped creation -- while Morocco's is made with traditional mud-building methods.
Israel is also gearing up to take part, a year after the UAE and the Jewish state normalised ties.
The domed Al Wasl Plaza, centrepiece of the vast Expo site, was lit by spectacular projections as Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum declared the $7 billion event open.
Architectural marvels and a long list of technological innovations will feature among the exhibits, showcasing the ingenuity and technological innovations of the participating countries.
The first world fair was held in London in 1851, when it was housed in the purpose-built Crystal Palace, and the Paris edition of 1889 featured the Eiffel Tower, at first intended as a temporary attraction.
Expo 2020 will be indelibly tinged by the pandemic, with masks and social distancing mandatory on site. Visitors will need to be vaccinated or have a negative PCR test to enter.
The United Arab Emirates, population 10 million, has reported rapidly dwindling coronavirus cases in recent weeks, dropping below 300 on Sunday -- less than half the figure a fortnight earlier.
The fair is another feather in the cap for Dubai, which has long strived for recognition with achievements such as the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building at 828 metres (2,717 feet).
The postponement has worked out well in one respect for the UAE, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding on December 2.
Workers have been putting the final touches on infrastructure and facilities at the site this week as the clock ticked down to the delayed launch.
A succession of politicians, business leaders, celebrities and sports people are expected at the Expo, whose diverse attractions include the Harlem Globetrotters and a Chinese robot panda.
A full-scale hyperloop cabin, touted as the future of long-distance travel and transport, is among the exhibits, while Egypt has imported an ancient coffin from pharaonic days.
China has one of the largest pavilions -- a LED-lit, lamp-shaped creation -- while Morocco's is made with traditional mud-building methods.
Israel is also gearing up to take part, a year after the UAE and the Jewish state normalised ties.