Expo 2020 Dubai prices were unveiled on Thursday, with single entry to cost Dh95 ($26) and a six-month pass Dh495.
At an event on Thursday, officials unveiled the pricing structure for the event, which will run from October 1 to March 31, 2022.
Organisers predicted that residents and visitors would take advantage of repeat visits to the site, which will be the centre of live events, music and entertainment for much of the next half year.
We are grateful for the opportunity to safely and purposefully come together in one place
Reem Al Hashimy,
director general Expo 2020 Dubai
Under-18s and people with disabilities are free to enter at any time, while the main carer or person accompanying them will be granted a 50 per cent discount.
Visitors aged 60 and over, students with a valid identity card from any academic institution in the world can also get in free.
A multi-entry month-long pass is also available for Dh195.
Tickets will go on sale online from 18 July at expo2020dubai.com. They will also be available through more than 2,500 authorised ticket resellers, including online travel agents, tour operators, hotel groups and airlines from 100-plus markets around the world.
An Expo official said a maximum of 120,000 people per day will be allowed on site. This is because of Covid-19 safety regulations, but it could change as the opening day approaches.
Reem Al Hashimy, director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, has previously said visitors will not be required to have had a coronavirus vaccine, but strongly urged people to do so.
With 91 days to go, she said the world was looking for “something to lift us up, to reassure us and to inspire us once more”.
She reiterated that organisers were confident of attracting 25 million visits over the six months, including domestic and international visitors.
Expo made an “uncompromising commitment” to welcoming visitors safely, as the pandemic rumbles on.
“In the wake of the pandemic – during which we have suffered so much as individuals, families, communities, industries and economies – we are grateful for the opportunity to safely and purposefully come together in one place," said Ms Al Hashimy, who is also Minister of State for International Co-operation.
For people unable to visit the World Fair, she said celebrations and content would be widely shared online.
“As parts of the world brace themselves against the ongoing impact of Covid-19, while others re-emerge slowly, sensibly yet with increasing confidence, our Expo 2020 is a distinct opportunity to signal, to capture and to showcase our solidarity.”
Robust safety measures planned
Medical staff will act quickly to isolate any visitor with high fever, with Covid-19 testing units in place on the site and thermal cameras to scan people's temperature.
“We do have PCR testing on site. We also have full medical services available so should we detect somebody who has a high temperature, we would be able to isolate them very quickly, ensure the proper test and ensure the site is safe,” said Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications.
Vaccinations are not mandatory for visitor entry but recommended. All Expo staff will be vaccinated, masks must be worn across the site, sanitisation will be conducted frequently and hand sanitiser stations are located throughout the site.
Technology would also be used to reduce queuing with people given time slots for access.
The world fair - the first to be staged in the Middle East - will involve 190 countries.
Nations have worked for many months to construct striking pavilions which will celebrate their culture, identity and ingenuity.
Each country taking part in the event will have its own pavilion, making for a truly global gathering in Dubai.
The international feel will be fitting for what is geared up to the biggest world’s largest in-person event held during the coronavirus pandemic, with Japan shutting borders to overseas sports fans for the Olympics to manage a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Expo 2020 Dubai was initially set to get under way in October 2020, only to be delayed for a year due to the pandemic.
Anticipation is now building with only three months to go until Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes the world.
First hotel opens on Expo site - with rooms to cost Dh1,000
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
