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The surreal entry portals of Expo 2020 Dubai opened 182 times over the past six months.
And in the early hours of Thursday, March 31, the portals closed for the last time, having recorded 24 million visits and welcomed the largest gathering on the globe since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
To celebrate the event, thousands of visitors headed towards the gigantic gates, with their phones held high in the air to capture the historic moment. Darkness descended for a few seconds before a dazzling yellow light illuminated the portals.
A video on Expo’s official website shows a team of officials, led by Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, walk towards the gates. Al Hashimy stands in the centre as the gates are pulled shut on either side.
In a statement after Expo announced that it had recorded 24 million visits, Al Hashimy said: “From the beginning of this incredible Expo journey, our country’s leadership promised an Expo that would amaze the world. Despite the inconceivable challenges, including the pandemic, a new variant, and conflicts in different parts of the world, we have delivered on this promise with purpose and passion.”
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She added that Expo 2020 Dubai presented world-class entertainment, shared cultures and ideas, and sought solutions to some of the world’s biggest global challenges.
“And this is just the beginning of the new world we have started making together,” she said.
