Expo 2020 Dubai visitor numbers expected to reach one million mark in days

Bumper long weekend gave total visitor numbers a boost

Long queues form outside India's Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Queues outside Saudi fast-food restaurant Al Baik. The fried chicken brand opened its second UAE branch at the Expo site this month.

People took the opportunity to visit the Expo site at the weekend.

People wait to enter Lebanon's pavilion.

The US pavilion attracted visitors.

Italy's pavilion also proved a big draw.

There are several food stalls at the Expo site, meaning visitors can keep hydrated and enjoy tasty treats on the go.

People take shelter from the sun outside Switzerland's pavilion.

Saudi Arabia's pavilion proved a popular attraction.

The UAE's long weekend proved to be the perfect time for many to visit Expo 2020 Dubai.

Follow the latest updates on Expo 2020 Dubai here

Visitor numbers at Expo 2020 Dubai are expected to pass the one million mark within days, organisers have said.

Before the long weekend, ticketed visits were well on course to reach the milestone figure — with 771,477 recorded between October 1 and October 17.

With a bumper weekend reported at the site, starting from the public holiday on Thursday, those numbers are expected to have swelled considerably since then.

“Looking at the numbers, hopefully we will be able to reach this number very soon,” said Mohamed Al Ansaari, vice president of strategic communications, on Sunday morning.

“Every Monday we will be sharing the number of visitors.

“We are very happy with the level of participation and visitors at different pavilions and events.”

There were queues at the site on Thursday and Friday, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, US, Italy, India and Switzerland pavilions proving the most popular.

The number of visitors to the Expo had increased by 12 per cent in a week, when the last set of data was made available.

Figures include all physical ticket holders but exclude representatives, delegations, guests from international participants and Expo staff.

“The level of engagement here is not just about the numbers, but also the meaningful discussions happening,” said Mr Al Ansaari.

“We are truly happy with the numbers so far, and will reveal on Monday exactly what they are.”

Visitors can avoid long queues at popular pavilions by using the Smart Queue system to book a slot ahead of time.

In the first ten days Expo 2020 Dubai attracted more than 400,000 visitors, with about 300,000 dropping in the week after that.

The Expo is proving to have more than a day's worth of exploration on offer as more than 30,000 people have visited the site three times already, and over 100,000 have been there twice.

The world’s fair, which spans more than four square kilometres, has welcomed more than 175 nationalities since its opening week.