A special ceremony and fireworks display will kick off tonight marking the opening of Expo 2020, a six-month fair that is expected to attract 1.8 million visitors.
The invite-only event will be broadcast live across more than 430 locations in the UAE, including shopping malls, hotels, airports and other landmarks, starting from 1930 GST.
Viewers from anywhere in the world can also join the opening ceremony through a global live stream, available on virtualexpo.world and Expo TV.
Expo 2020 will open its doors to the public on October 1, 2021 and will run until March 31, 2022. Some 30,000 visitors are expected to visit the site every month, making it the biggest in-person event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
Where to see the opening ceremony in UAE
Tonight’s ceremony can be viewed through the screens set up in more than 240 hotels, including Emaar’s Rove, Armani, Address Hotels & Resorts and Vida Hotels & Resorts, as well as Accor, Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Rotana, Jumeirah, Hyatt International and Atlantis The Palm.
At least 17 shopping malls operated by Majid Al Futtaim also have some screens set up to showcase the event, as well as City Walk, Nakheel Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall.
The streaming can also be viewed at 50 Jashanmal locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, 97 Mediclinics, Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Zabeel Ladies Club and Sharaf DG.
Viewings will likewise take place at various locations in Umm Al Quwain, Yas Plaza in Abu Dhabi and across various locations in Ras Al Khaimah, including the Corniche, Al Marjan Island and Manar Mall, Ajman Heritage District and Fujairah Fort.
On October 1, fireworks displays to celebrate the start of Expo 2020 are also scheduled to take place in some parts of Dubai, including Dubai Festival City, The Frame and The Pointe in Palm Jumeirah. The fireworks will kick off at 2020 GST.
source: zawya
Shailesh Dash, chairman of Dubai-based, Gulf Pinnacle Logistics
The Expo 2020 Dubai event has already spurred business opportunities for various sectors, with logistics being one of the prime gainers, say experts.
With less than 19 months left for the inauguration of the Expo 2020, its organisers have further speeded up the pace of allocating contracts to thousands of local and foreign firms to ensure timely preparation of the event, which is set to be the largest of its kind in the Arab World.
So far Expo 2020 Dubai has awarded 56 per cent of contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Meanwhile, more than 26,000 companies from 150 countries have recently applied to be involved in the event.
The 173-day milestone Dubai exhibition expects to welcome 25 million visitors and more than 200 international participants from 190 countries.
"When foreign companies get contracts in the UAE, they need professional support of logistics specialists with wide local and international network to move their set up and equipment to the Gulf country.
Contractors of Expo 2020, which is extraordinarily big in magnitude, therefore rely on reputable and experienced logistics players to become their strategic and operational partners.
After all, freight forwarders do much more than moving containers. We guide organisers, contractors and exhibitors throughout different customs procedures, time frames and operational complexities," said Shailesh Dash, chairman of Dubai-based, Gulf Pinnacle Logistics.
Rodney Viegas, CEO of AbdulMuhsen Shipping and So Safe Logistics, said: "Thanks to the increased momentum of Expo 2020 preparations, the logistics sector in the UAE - which according to the 2019 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index ranks first in the region and third globally - is witnessing a business boom, when other sectors are observing slow growth.
Expo 2020 is expected to drive the logistics and supply chain segment even further and cement the UAE's position as a global leader in logistics.
With our strong global agent network, we are equipped to provide end-to-end logistics solutions to fulfil the client's comprehensive list of logistics requirements on time."
Source: khaleejtimes
