ShareKUWAIT: Dubai continues to consolidate its position as a leading destination for tourists. It will hold the Dubai Expo 2020, the first expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, with many reasons to be counted as one of the most important in exposition history.
On the sidelines of a press conference held in Kuwait, Essam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism and Commercial Marketing Corporation (DTCM), said: "Dubai Tourism aims to target further growth in every potential segment of this important market, from short stays and weekend breaks to long vacations, especially families, who are our key audience and make up the majority of visitors from the GCC region."
Kazim added Dubai Tourism is organizing 18 events during 2019 aimed at attracting tourists from all over the world, especially the Gulf region and Kuwait, which ranked third in the Gulf and 11th globally in the number of visitors. He revealed that the number of Kuwaiti visitors to Dubai in the first half of the year reached 7,000, pointing out that concerned authorities in the emirate provide all facilities to tourists and visitors. "We added more than 13 nationalities to get visa on arrival to facilitate their visit to Dubai," he said.
Kazim pointed out that Dubai Tourism is currently focusing on the Expo 2020, which is held under the slogan "Connecting minds and making the future," in addition to many other events, adding that the Expo is the first international expo organized in the Arab world with the participation of 193 countries, including Kuwait.
Lisa Caudana, Director - Commercial Ticketing of Expo 2020, said: "One of the most important events that will be held in Dubai is Expo 2020, the largest international event that includes the achievements of the countries of the world, where it expects to welcome 25 million visitors during the six-month event from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021."
She told Kuwait Times that the Expo will witness several activities, including the national day celebrations of each participating country. She added that the Expo is a key meeting point for the global community to share innovations and make progress on issues of international importance, such as the global economy, sustainable development and improved quality of life for the world's population.
Caudana added that the Expo will be welcoming the world to the UAE for six months, aiming to leave a meaningful and lasting legacy. She affirmed the Expo is the first to be held in the Middle East, as it has been held every five years in a different country, and visitors will enjoy 60 shows daily. Expo 2020 is the largest event ever staged in the Arab world, and is set to welcome millions of visitors from across the globe.
By Faten Omar
