Bosses at the only hotel in Expo City Dubai have predicted a surge in visitors this week as the legacy site prepares to open its doors to the public once again.
It was revealed on Monday that guests could officially return to the rebranded Expo City Dubai — previously Expo 2020 Dubai — from Thursday.
Paul Bridger, chief operating officer of Rove Hotels, told The National the announcement had sparked increased demand for the 336-room hotel, which is the only one on the site.
Most people are asking if the hotel is open and what is available on site and how they can get around
Paul Bridger,
Rove Hotels
He said the majority of those who had contacted the hotel and the company’s call centre were asking what attractions would be open to the public from Thursday.
“We’ve seen a lot more interest from the general public since it was announced the site would reopen on Thursday,” said Mr Bridger.
“Most people are asking if the hotel is open and what is available on site and how they can get around.
“The majority of calls [are coming] from those within the UAE but we’re expecting that to change as tourists start to come in bigger numbers [later this year].”
Expo City Dubai will officially open to the public on October 1 but organisers said visitors could take an earlier-than-expected look at the site from this week.
So far, two of the anchor pavilions, Mobility and Terra, are confirmed as being accessible to the public from Thursday, as well as the Garden in the Sky, which offers 360-degree views of the site.
The opening is part of a phased launch of the legacy site, which will act as a successor to Expo 2020 Dubai, which ran for six months before closing at the end of March.
“There has been great interest from the public constantly asking when they can come back and look at the pavilions and the attractions they enjoyed during expo,” said Mr Bridger.
“We’ve had people stay with us over the summer because they actually enjoyed the Expo site so much when it was open. Guests at the property were still able to enjoy tours of the site on buggies after it closed in March.”
He said occupancy at the hotel had remained strong, around the 50 per cent mark, despite the summer heat and the end of the world's fair.
Most of the guests currently staying at the property are those who wanted to revisit the site, as well as people working on the project’s rebirth as Expo City Dubai.
“Opening in September is going to be the first step in creating a major tourist attraction,” said Mr Bridger.
“I think it might need a little time but it should take off by Q4 as things ramp up and more attractions and events are announced.”
Another hospitality expert said it could be two years before the site reaches its full potential.
“I think it’s going to take a couple of years before it has really planted its feet,” said Naim Maadad, founder and chief executive of Gates Hospitality.
“What you will see in the short term is people enjoying the legacy of expo but I think it’s about 24 months away from being fully developed and positioned.
“At the minute it is not fully developed commercially or as a residential location.”
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GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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