Dubai: The ongoing Dubai Expo is attracting huge crowds as it enters the last round. Scheduled to conclude on March 31, the current edition of the six-month-long Expo has witnessed a total footfall of over 1.6 crore so far. The number of visitors in February alone was around 44 lakh. “More than 10 lakh people arrived during the last one week alone,” said authorities.
There was a steady increase in the number of visitors after restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were withdrawn and ticket rates slashed. Moreover, several attractive new programmes were introduced. “We expect the total number of visitors to touch 2.5 crore when the Expo concludes,” added the authorities.
India pavilion
Among the biggest attractions at the Expo is the India pavilion. Apart from introducing visitors to the cultural diversity of the country from Kashmir to Kerala, the pavilion highlights India’s advances in the space and startup sectors. Incidentally, around 5,000 startups have already been showcased at the pavilion till now. India pavilion is also among the biggest at the Expo and there are plans to make it a permanent exhibition.
Art fests
Several live performances are also being organised as part of the Expo. Among the international celebrities who would be participating in these events are noted musicians Ilayaraja and AR Rahman from India. In addition, a number of authors and scientists would be taking part in various programmes.
Food, sports events
Dubai Expo turns more attractive thanks to the food fest, where cuisines from 192 countries - including India - entice visitors. Moreover, the Sports Arena at the Expo will host a world gymnastics championship from March 8 to 10. As many as 300 gymnasts from 30 countries will take part in the event.
