Expo 2020 is a big deal for our country and for us, a Dubai resident admitted to CNN Prima NEWS. Along with other locals, she rejoices that the world-famous exhibition has finally arrived despite the coronavirus pandemic. The fair officially began on October 1 and will run for six months. The country that strives to be the "best" in everything has also taken its marketing in its own way. The Expo beckons at every turn.
"The Expo is a big moment for our country and for those of us who live here. It may be held a year later but we are happy to have seen the expo. A year ago, hardly anyone believed it because of the coronavirus pandemic," admits the fifty-five-year-old Dubai resident, as several digital banners glow around her, beckoning to the world-famous expo.
There is similar enthusiasm for the fair across the country. Expo 2020 banners fly around the city and advertisements for the show can be seen on almost every corner of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) most populous city. They haven't missed the shopping malls, hotels, buildings or even the most famous landmarks.
For example, at the entrance to the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, an official video clip and the official song of this year's Expo are playing on a giant screen. The newly built Ain Dubai monument which resembles the famous London Eye, is lit up with Expo 2020 signs in the early evening. And the toilets in the world's largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall and for example the mobile phones of tourists in the country have not escaped the advertisements running in the left-hand corner of the screen.
A country full of "the best"
Dubai residents are simply used to embracing everything in a big way and want to be the best in everything. They have the tallest building in the world, the most luxurious hotel in the world, the highest elevator or the biggest candy store. And this year's Expo will be the best in several ways.
For the first time in 170 years, an Arab country is hosting the exhibition, which is supposed to showcase the latest innovations of the modern world, state-of-the-art technology, architecture or culture. At the same time, the fair is being held for the first time in the region known as the Middle East and North Africa.
This year, a total of 191 countries from all over the world are taking part and for the first time each country has its own pavilion. The people of Dubai have newly constructed the space for the Expo and even extended a metro line to it. The result is Expo 2020 which is set to be the largest metro station in the Middle East.
And in honour of this year's expo, a building is even to be built to surpass the current Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Its name should be Burj 2020 or Dubai Tower.
The right moment for Dubai
"The whole world will be watching. Maybe it is the right moment for Dubai to host the Expo because we have had a coronavirus pandemic," believes Tatjana Lahmarova, deputy director of Royal Gulf, one of the largest travel agencies in the UAE, which arranges holidays in Dubai for Czechs. But she also admits that the coronavirus has not damaged tourism in the country that much.
"We did not feel the pandemic so much because Dubai was open last year, so tourism for us does not start with the Expo. We have had a lot of bookings since last year, but more for the more expensive hotels. So basically we don't have to heal our wounds but of course it doesn't compare to 2019. 2019 was one of the best years in the last eight years I've lived in Dubai, according to the numbers," Lahmar told CNN Prima NEWS, adding that she believes that thanks to Expo this year's season will reach 70 percent of 2019's.
According to Lahmar, the World Expo is mainly of interest to people from China, India, Russia and from Europe, Italians, Czechs, French and Germans. She herself is excited about the exhibition and will go there this weekend. She plans to buy a ticket for the entire six months that the exhibition runs.
"As a representative of a travel agency, I have been to the fair four times already. I was surprised by the Russian pavilion, it was very colourful, it was beautiful. India and Italy also look great, the Czech pavilion is beautiful," Lahmarová admits with a smile, adding that she has a list of about ten pavilions of different countries that she definitely wants to visit. She is also looking forward to seeing the artists who will perform at the fair. "The organisers haven't announced the big names yet, so it's a surprise for us. We'll see what the Expo brings," he looks forward to.
PCR tests and face masks
Czechs can enter Dubai if they have a negative PCR test that is less than 72 hours old. This condition applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated; the country does not differentiate between them. The exhibition itself has a similar condition. However people who have already purchased a ticket will be able to get tested for free on the show grounds. According to the Expo website, the result should be available in about four hours.
In the country, people must wear masks, both indoors and out on the street. They also have to keep apart and disinfect their hands. But there are no stricter coronavirus restrictions in the country which is one of the most vaccinated in the world. Dubai has nearly 84 percent of its population vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm or Pfizer. Many people are vaccinated with a third dose and some have even received a fourth dose of the vaccine.
Czechs can attend the Expo for free
Czechs can see the Expo for free. Anyone who buys a ticket for example with Emirates or Fly Dubai, will also receive a one-time ticket to the Expo for free. Ticket prices otherwise range from CZK 600 per day to CZK 3,000 for a season ticket.
The Czech pavilion has an area of 2,200 m2 and is located in the sustainability zone at one of the main entrances to the exhibition centre. Its theme is "Czech Spring" (Czech Sping) and the main star is the Solar Air Water Earth Resource (S.A.W.E.R.) system. This uses solar energy to produce water from the air and irrigate the garden around the Czech pavilion and is also usable in the desert. The United Arab Emirates chose "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" as the theme of the exhibition. Other subthemes are sustainability, mobility and opportunity.
The Czech pavilion at Expo 2020:
The event was originally scheduled to take place from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, but was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The next Expo will take place in 2023 in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.
Going to the city instead of going to the sea
In the UAE, the holiday season also begins in October and lasts until May. Thanks to the Expo, travel agents and agencies are also registering an increased interest in Dubai. "Interest in this destination has been growing in recent weeks. Many hotel capacities in the country are full around the start of the Expo," confirmed Andrea Řezníčková, spokesperson for the Invia travel agency, adding that the agency has a wide range of offers and will arrange tours to Dubai for clients.
According to Řezníčková, Czechs most often fly to a five-star hotel with all-inclusive accommodation for eight days. "Normally, Czechs prefer hotels on the coast, but thanks to the Expo, there is also an increasing demand for business hotels in the city," she pointed out.