Stars headlining the opening ceremony, which was projected in public spaces around the UAE, included Italian tenor singer Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu.
Dubai says it wants the Expo, an exhibition of culture, technology and architecture under the banner"Connecting Minds and Creating the Future", to be a demonstration of ingenuity, and a place where global challenges such as climate change,conflict and economic growth can be addressed together.
The event will probably contend with a global reluctance to travel and many events will be streamed live online. But Expo still officially expects to attract more visits than Milan received and more than twice the population of the UAE. "We are quite confident...that by being responsible in how we manage the situation with Covid but also in how we put forward an exciting program for visitors, we will hopefully be able to thread the needle by opening up but remaining at the same time conservative and keep public safety first and foremost," Reem Al Hashimy, Expo 2020 Dubai's Director General told Reuters.
The Gulf state has relaxed most coronavirus restrictions but Expo requires face masks to be worn and for visitors over 18 to be vaccinated against, or test negative for, Covid-19.
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