After 182 days of unforgettable experiences, Expo 2020 Dubai has drawn to a close, having recorded 24,102,967 visits, welcomed 192 countries and shown the world what can be achieved when humanity comes together.
As the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and the first event of its size and scale to be held since the start of the global pandemic, Expo 2020 Dubai marked a major achievement for Dubai and heralded a historic moment for the UAE – made even more significant by being hosted in the year of the nation’s Golden Jubilee – and paved the way for the next generation of change-makers to continue Expo’s legacy.
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, attended the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai, held at Al Wasl Square, the beating heart of the six-month global event.
The ceremony saw the baton for World Expo being handed over to Osaka, Japan, which will host the next Expo in 2025. Over six months, Expo 2020 Dubai brought together over 190 participating nations, including multilateral organisations and academic institutions, and millions of visitors under the event’s theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, to exchange new ideas and perspectives, inspire meaningful change and create a brighter future for all. The global event that opened in October 2021 made history as the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and the first to be hosted by an Arab nation.
The closing ceremony started with the UAE national anthem, followed by an address by His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, in which he congratulated the UAE leadership on the exceptional success of Expo, which he said “will remain engraved proudly in the memory of history, and the world, as one of our young country’s many achievements.”
His Excellency also thanked the thousands of volunteers and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) for their relentless efforts in presenting the magnificent event. He also highlighted the various events that took place at Expo 2020 Dubai during the six months of the event, including the celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.
“The UAE is looking forward to participating in Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai and sharing the unique and rich experiences gained from the organisation of the mega global event in Dubai”, Sheikh Nahyan added.
Expo 2020 Dubai has been hailed as a huge success and a beacon of hope, bringing together the international community in a show of resilience in uncertain times, and overcoming a raft of challenges, including the global pandemic, which necessitated its one-year postponement and restricted global travel, and adapting to new variants with an agile and robust health-and-safety response.
His Excellency Jai-chul Choi, President of the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) thanked the UAE leadership for its support for the success of the event. He also said that this is the first World Expo in which more than 190 countries participated with their own pavilions, which is a collective achievement and a demonstration of solidarity, fraternity and international coordination.
“It has been made possible by the UAE’s dedication to hosting a transformational and unifying event, and by the commitment of the BIE, the Organiser and all participants to persevere in the delivery of this wonderful World Expo,” Choi said.
“During this tumultuous period, Expo 2020 Dubai has been a beacon to remind us all that, to navigate these challenges, we must join together and work in unison.”
Expo 2020 Dubai came to an end in spectacular style in the early hours of Friday (31 March), as HE Reem Al Hashimy closed the breath-taking Entry Portals for the final time, following an emotional Closing Ceremony that honoured Expo’s iconic moments.
