Expo City Dubai visitors tell of excitement to be back

Expo City Dubai welcomed its first visitors back to the landmark site on Thursday.

The area, which is planned to be an economic hub, a residential space and a global destination for events and exhibitions, had a soft launch on September 1 ahead of the official opening in a month, one year after Expo 2020 Dubai began.

Visitors keen to get back into the Expo spirit can again visit two of its most popular attractions: Alif – The Mobility Pavilion; and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion.

Returning with loved ones

Filipino family Virgilo, Majin and June Pearl Hicasio, were the first to arrive at Terra.

Mr Hicasio, a Dubai resident, was excited to take his wife and daughter to Terra as part of their Dubai holiday.

“I was able to visit most of the pavilions during Expo 2020 Dubai ― about 190 of them ― but this is the first time for my family, so we are very happy to be here,” he said.

Over in the mobility district Peruvian-Canadians Chris and Patricia Diaz headed straight to Alif and were the first to enter its doors. They spent a month in the UAE during Expo 2020 Dubai, but did not manage to experience all the pavilions and attractions.

“Alif is one of the pavilions we were unable to visit because it was so busy,” Ms Diaz said.

The couple had admired the structure of the pavilion from the outside and are happy they can now take a look inside.

“We heard great things about Alif and were captivated by the outside, so we knew that the inside had to be wonderful too," Mr Diaz said.

"It’s a really insightful experience and a great way to remind us of the huge efforts made by the human race ― and how the UAE has participated in all of this ― as well as of the special times we are living in.

"I think it gave us a good opportunity to see that there is a lot more to come in the future.”

At the moment only a few attractions are open to the public, but more will be available from October 1.

So far, only the Alif and Terra pavilions are open, as well as a few food trucks. There are also buggies available to tour the site.

Despite the lack of experiences right now, the walkable city is still worth a two to three-hour visit, especially for families and groups of friends looking for weekend activities on a budget.

Alif and Terra are open daily from 10am to 6pm, with tickets costing AED 50 per person per pavilion (free for children aged 12 and under and people of determination).

Tickets can be bought at www.expocitydubai.com and at ticket offices at Expo City Dubai.

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