Expo 2020 Dubai: UAE puts coronavirus crisis behind it as emirate looks to draw millions of visitors to boost its pandemic-hit economy
- Life has largely returned to normal in the emirates as cases of Covid-19 have decreased, but strict rules still remain on wearing masks and social distancing
- Expo organisers say more than 190 nations have opened pavilions, with China’s three-storey construction one of the biggest on show at the event
With the delayed Expo 2020 Dubai finally under way, the United Arab Emirates has declared it has overcome the Covid-19 crisis as it recorded its lowest number of daily infections since the summer of 2020.
The declaration comes as a boost to both the Expo organisers and the more than 190 nations that are using their pavilions at the Middle East’s first world fair to spotlight their greatest tourist attractions, discoveries and ambitions.
“I wanted to assure you all that our lives must go back to normal,” said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in footage published by the official WAM news agency.
“There are some changes in how we work, in our families’ studies or our personal lives … but we thank God for everything,” said the de facto ruler of the UAE. “We also thank God that we have overcome this crisis … safely, in good health and with an experience for which we paid the price but we learnt a lot.”
Dubai and the six other emirates of the UAE recorded fewer than 200 new daily cases of Covid-19 on October 3 – the lowest figure since August 2020. In total, the UAE has recorded more than 737,000 cases of Covid-19, and 2,104 deaths. While life has largely returned to normal, the emirates retain strict rules on wearing masks and social distancing.