Read also: Expo 2020 Dubai, from design to reality and beyond
The final touches are being applied to the site at Expo 2020 Dubai, with less than 50 days to go until the world fair opens its doors.
Nevertheless, there is still so much we do not know about the exhibits and pavilions. Much of this is deliberate, as participating countries are keen to keep their attractions under wraps to build anticipation.
Some details, however, are starting to slip out. The National found out 50 facts you may not yet know about Expo 2020 Dubai.
1. More than 100 robots manufactured in China will greet visitors, deliver food, help with directions and take photographs.
2. There will be two-hour Khaleeji-led “jam sessions” once a month, called Jalsat Nights @Expo.
3. More than 30,000 volunteers have signed up to help at Expo 2020 Dubai. Emiratis make up 61 per cent of all 18 to 24 year olds within the workforce. UAE residents of numerous nationalities make up the remainder.
4. The Korean pavilion will showcase the best of K-Pop, with several bands booked to perform, including Stray Kids, who have been appointed pavilion ambassadors.
5. Multi-sensory studio Bompas & Parr will host a theatrically decadent, multisensory experience at Expo 202 Dubai, entitled “Introducing The Future of Food: Epochal Banquet”. The two-hour culinary odyssey will take place in September.
6. Opti, a golden robot known as the guardian of the Opportunity Pavilion, is an Expo mascot.
7. India's four-storey structure and facade is made up of 600 individual blocks that are capable of kinetic movements, symbolising “India on the Move".
8. Expo 2020 Metro Station, with an aircraft wing design, was built to take passengers to the entrance of the World Fair. It is the final station on Dubai’s new Route 2020 and can hold 29,000 people per hour during peak hours.
9. The World Chess Championship will be hosted at Expo 2020 in November.
10. If you want to be treated like a VIP while visiting Expo 2020 Dubai, you can sign up for the Jubilee Experience, giving you access to a special lounge, valet parking and other perks. It costs Dh10,000.
11. Israel's pavilion is themed around a sand dune, with an open design so people can interact with the exhibits even if they do not enter the structure.
12. The Spanish pavilion will include a hyperloop vehicle made by Zeleros. The craft arrived in July.
13. Vaccination against Covid-19 is not mandatory for visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai, but it is recommended.
14. Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Arabic Language Day, World Poetry Day and Mother's Day will all be celebrated at Expo 2020 Dubai, with events held in a specially built amphitheatre.
15. Australia's pavilion mascots are called Wattle and Jali, who are a koala and a butterfly. Jali means tree in the Bundjalung indigenous language, and like a tree Jali is an old spirit that connects the above with the below.
16. Each country participating in Expo 2020 Dubai will be able to celebrate their national day — or an honour day — during the six-month event. The celebrations will be hosted in Al Wasl Plaza.
17. Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has recruited a group of female musicians to join an all-women ensemble for Expo 2020 Dubai. The Firdaus Orchestra will perform several times during the world fair.
18. There will be daily fitness sessions held in the Expo 2020 Dubai park, from jogging to cycling tours.
19. Sweden's pavilion is called “The Forest”. The wooden structure is designed to reduce CO2 emissions and act as a carbon sink.
20. One of the highlights of the six-month Expo will be the celebration of the UAE Golden Jubilee, held over the course of a month, starting in early November.
21. Expo 2020 Dubai will have a Youth Pavilion built and managed entirely by young people, for young people. An open creative space, it is designed to be a centre-point for youth activities at the world fair.
22. The disc-shaped Sustainability Pavilion is entirely operated by solar energy. Each E-Tree has an average of 120 rotating solar panels and follows the sun from sunrise to sunset.
23. Expo 2020 Dubai is not just about entertainment! Business leaders will be encouraged to connect, and budding entrepreneurs will be nurtured under the Thrive Together programme, designed to leverage the connecting power of the world fair.
24. Everyone flying to Dubai with Emirates during Expo 2020, between October 1 and March 31, 2022, will receive a complimentary Expo 2020 Dubai day pass. Those who are in transit will also be able to avail themselves of the offer.
25. Every morning from October 1, thousands of students from schools in the UAE will host song and dance shows inside the massive Al Wasl dome.
26. The Australia pavilion is planning to host a cricket exhibition match.
27. British people living in the UAE should mark February 10 in their diary, as that is when UK National Day will be celebrated at Expo 2020 Dubai.
28. Fancy a snack? Head to Singapore's pavilion where chefs from some of the city's most famous restaurants and street stalls will serve traditional coffee and snacks, including tapioca, green bean fritters, traditional chicken and beef satay.
29. A shaded area in Expo 2020 Dubai called Ghaf Avenue is named after the traditional trees that grow in the UAE desert and provide a habitat for so many insects and mammals.
30. Celebrated singer Ragheb Alama and Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi are both booked to perform during Expo 2020 Dubai.
31. The exterior of Russia's colourful pavilion echoes the concept of the traditional matryoshka wooden stacking dolls, and the interior design is modelled on a similar concept, with a small entrance leading to a much wider space within.
32. Expo 2020 Dubai will run 10 theme weeks throughout the six-month extravaganza. The first will tackle climate and biodiversity, and the second space. Other themes include tolerance and inclusivity, travel and connectivity, and food, agriculture and livelihoods.
33. A rapid-response ambulance centre is to be set up at Dubai Investments Park to serve Expo2020. Five emergency vehicles will be stationed there.
34. Morocco's pavilion is made entirely of rammed earth, using a traditional Moroccan construction technique to create 22 stacked rectangular sections. It was inspired by the Moroccan villages of the south.
35. The only hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai is now taking bookings — for Dh1,000 a night including entry tickets. The Rove Expo 2020 has commanding views of the dome of Al Wasl Plaza, one of the main attractions of the event.
36. The Expo 2020 Dubai site is bigger than 600 football fields.
37. Russian ballerinas and principal dancers from Moscow’s famous Bolshoi Theatre will perform during Expo 2020 Dubai.
38. The US pavilion will have an enormous model of the Space X Falcon 9 booster on display, plus Moon rock samples brought back by Apollo missions.
39. Singapore's pavilion is built on the smallest plot, but plans to make a big impact with hanging gardens, exotic flowers and edible plants. Its designers aim to show how nature can thrive in a limited space.
40. The Expo site will stay open later on Thursdays and Fridays, and visitors can enjoy music concerts and events starting as late as 10.30pm.
41. The attractions at the newly revealed Saudi pavilion break three Guinness World Records. The structure features the largest interactive floor, the longest water feature and the biggest screen.
42. Ireland was the first country to complete its Expo pavilion structure, which was inspired by the megalithic Newgrange light box, which dates back 5,000 years.
43. The Austrian pavilion is made up of 38 cones coated on the interior with a layer of clay and reeds to keep it cool for visitors during Expo 2020 Dubai.
44. Nearly a dozen contemporary artworks have been commissioned and installed around the Expo 2020 site, including a gigantic iridescent, oil drill-shaped sculpture by Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadir.
45. It took nine shipments for the three sets of 21-metre high gates designed by Asif Khan to reach Dubai. The portals were built in Bavaria, but are so large, they could only be transported along German motorways at night.
46. Football legend Lionel Messi helped publicise Expo 2020 Dubai, and starred in an advert where he kicked a ball through the hole at top of the dome of Al Wasl Plaza.
47. Switzerland's pavilion will include an installation called Swiss Fog Magnified, created with a thousand crystal glass droplets, varying in size, hanging from a mirrored ceiling.
48. Japan's pavilion will showcase “omotenashi”, or Japanese hospitality, and visitors will be welcomed by traditional Origami shapes. One exhibit includes a mysterious floating mist feature.
49. A robotic arm that will dig through the Martian soil will be on display at the Italian pavilion. The space drill is part of the ExoMars 2022 mission, which will be launched next year.
50. Entry to Expo 2020 Dubai is free for under 18s, anyone aged 60 and over, and people with disabilities. Students with a valid identity card from any academic institution in the world can also enter free of charge.
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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