Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
April 01, 2022
Between 7pm yesterday and 3am today, organisers at Dubai Expo 2020 had the difficult task of closing one of the most impressive and prestigious events on the global calendar.
The fanfare was so great that 20 screens were needed throughout the site to give attendees a full picture of the ceremonies, which included music, speeches and a massive fireworks display. Another important part was the handover ceremony to Japan, where the next Expo will be held in Osaka in 2025. It is a reminder that while this one might be over, the event’s wider legacy is not. Millions of people will now have cherished memories of their visit, be it every school child in the Emirates or the very many foreign visitors who were often getting their first experience not just of the UAE, but of the wider Middle East.
And while all Expos are memorable, this one will go down for being one of the busiest and most exceptional on record. For the first time in the event's history, all of the 192 participating countries had their own pavilions. The scale means the majority of visitors, even the most committed ones, did not have the chance to visit every country and thematic pavilion. Faris Aziz Ahmad, 48, was one of the few attendees lucky enough to fill all the pages in his Expo passport, after making more than 70 separate visits. Mr Ahmad said: “Expo gives me information. It gives me more power to look to the future, makes me strong, give me more ideas. I find something new each time.”
The UAE's Al Fursan aerobatic display team perform on the last day of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
The display took place above the sprawling site in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
The team's jets trail the colours of the UAE flag. Pawan Singh / The National
The display thrilled crowds who packed the site for the final day of the world's fair. Pawan Singh / The National
The team perform stunts in the sky above the Expo site. Pawan Singh / The National
Flying over the pavilions of Expo 2020 Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
A vertical display above the site. Antonie Robertson / The National
A jet leaves a corkscrew smoke trail above Expo. Antonie Robertson / The National
The team create a love heart in their farewell to the world's fair. Pawan Singh / The National
Impressive as this was, you did not have to be as committed as Mr Ahmad to benefit in this manner. Even the most cursory of visitors will have got a sense of the three themes underpinning the event, which were present at every turn: sustainability, mobility and opportunity, all coming together to "Connect Minds and Create the Future".
At the Sustainability Pavilion, visitors got to "explore humankind’s relationship with nature and our obsession with excessive consumerism", and how we can manage the two to ease the climate crisis. There was a particular focus on the promise of solar energy and the need to use water efficiently, both topics on which the GCC has much to contribute. At the Mobility Pavilion, visitors saw how movement has driven mankind's progress, and where modern forms of it are set to take us, with a particular focus on smart cities, a subject the UAE will be driving in upcoming years. And at the Opportunity Pavilion, the goal was to build global connections and inspiration in a world where future challenges can seem overwhelming.
The UAE is now part of a small, prestigious band of countries to have held an Expo. But there is one achievement that no other host in the history of Expo can lay claim to: keeping it alive through unprecedented obstacles and health risks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The very name of the event, which remained Expo 2020 even though it actually happened a year later, will serve as a permanent reminder of all that was done to keep the show on the road.
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
Red flags
Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
