Expo 2020 Dubai ticket prices unveiled

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.

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.

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