Emiratis, expats and visitors are eagerly counting the hours before the ‘world’s greatest show’ begins in Dubai on October 1, 2021. Expo 2020 Dubai, the world’s third-biggest event after the Olympics and Fifa World Cup, is taking place for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The event had to be postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Expo’s operations room five days before the start of the event.

“We promised to organise the most exceptional Expo in the history of the event. Our nation’s talented citizens were able to convert this vision into a comprehensive plan for success, conveying a message to the world that our commitment to excellence makes us an important contributor to shaping the globe’s future.

“Their unwavering positivity, determination and diligent planning gave us the confidence that our mission will be accomplished,” said Sheikh Mohammed. The main operations centre has 134 units comprising people of 95 nationalities.

Dubai has spent generously on infrastructure and facilities to make it a memorable event. For the first time, each of the 191 participating countries has its own individual pavilion. Local, federal, public and private entities in Dubai and across the UAE are working together to fulfil Sheikh Mohammed’s promise of “dazzling the world”.

“We promise people from all over the world an unprecedented Expo. The six months of the event will go down in history for the ideas and inventions that will benefit humanity for years to come,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted on September 1.

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Dubai Police

Dubai Police is all set for the event. It will deploy the latest smart technologies to ensure the highest standards of security at the venue. Dubai Police will use ASRI, an AI-based system that enables it to respond to any emergency within a minute.

Dubai Health Authority

Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) Expo Emergency Centre will offer comprehensive healthcare services to visitors, including PCR tests. DHA has set up a five-lane drive-through PCR testing facility and a PCR screening centre. The centre has a capacity of 10,000 tests per day, which will provide results within four hours.

Roads and Transport Authority

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is ready to provide public transport facilities to facilitate the smooth movement of people during the event. The Dubai Metro Route 2020 is set to serve up to half a million riders per day. RTA has deployed 126 buses from nine stations to serve Expo visitors free of charge, in addition to shuttle buses from hotels to the Expo venue and buses from other emirates.