Dubai Expo City welcomed dozens of visitors on Saturday, with many stepping foot on the site for the first time.
Those who visited Expo 2020 Dubai during its six-month duration said returning to the site stoked fond memories of the world's fair. But for those who missed it, it was a chance to get a feel of the historic event.
Holidaying in Dubai with his family, Unnikrishnan Govinad, 79, from India, said it was a dream come true visiting Dubai Expo City as he was only able to watch the expo from afar on his TV at home.
I came nine times during the mega-event and my boys really enjoyed the robots. It's a cool thing to be able to do it again
Nick Sheppard,
New Zealand
He spent his first day in Dubai visiting the newly opened, pedestrianised city.
“I heard about it and never had the chance to see it in real life,” he told The National.
“I’m very happy to be here and I'm glad I had the chance to come with my wife and my nephew, who is a resident here in the UAE.
“I couldn't miss this opportunity.”
Although the day began quietly, groups of visitors started to enter the legacy site from late morning.
While much of the area is still closed until next month's official relaunch, there is plenty on offer for those looking to spend a few hours exploring the site.
Tours inside the two pavilions that are currently open to the public — Terra and Alif — remain popular with visitors. Entrance fees for the pavilions are Dh50 each.
At about 11am, New Zealander Nick Sheppard, 39, arrived with his wife and two children. He had his sights set on the pavilions.
With help of the free buggy tours on offer, Mr Sheppard and his family were able to move around the city with ease.
“I came nine times during the mega-event and my boys really enjoyed the robots. It's a cool thing to be able to do it again,” he said.
“I decided to come despite the hot weather.”
Expo City Dubai, the UAE’s first fully pedestrianised neighbourhood, opened its doors to the public on Thursday, with free entry for all.
For Russian resident Evgenii Gusarov, 45, it was interesting to visit the site and see how it had been transformed after Expo closed its doors to the public in March.
“It is interesting to see how the project developed through the [months]. I visited many pavilions during Expo and wanted to see what happened to the whole area,” he said.
“I visited the Terra pavilion six times. It is my favourite pavilion.”
He came with his friend Irina Tsyplakova, who was visiting the area for the first time.
Ahmed Mahgoub, 41, from Sudan, has lived in the UAE for 11 years. He visited the world's fair 25 times between October last year and March this year.
“This is my chance to see it again. My friend came for a visit and I brought him to see the site. It became a popular tourist destination as many people across the globe heard about it,” he said.
Saturday was the first time touring the site for Filipino Noel Cosico, 37. He didn't visit during the world's fair owing to worries about Covid-19.
“I came with my brother to see the site when I heard it opened. I live and work in Abu Dhabi and didn’t have the chance to come before, due to Covid-19. It is nice being here and seeing what people were talking about,” Mr Cosico said.
For those that wish to visit without the heavy crowds, gates open every day from 10am to 5.30pm.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
New schools in Dubai
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
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Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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