Dubai Expo 2020 marks one year countdown to opening

Israel's foreign ministry announced previously that Israel will participate in the Expo and expressed excitement that Israel will have "the opportunity to share the spirit of Israeli innovation."

A man uses his mobile device next to a model of the Expo 2020 project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)
A man uses his mobile device next to a model of the Expo 2020 project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)
Dubai Expo 2020 organizers released a video last week announcing the one-year countdown to the event scheduled to take place between October 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. The video shows the planned Expo site that organizers say 210 million work-hours have gone into landscaping and constructing.
Expo 2020 was originally scheduled to open this month but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 190 countries are expected to attend and organizers hope that up to 25 million visitors from around the world will visit the Expo site during the six months it is open, according to CNN.
Organizers expressed excitement for the Expo, the mission of which is "to inspire hope." They want it to "be a true expression of the UAE's values, reflecting its ambition to build a better future for... the world."
The theme of the event is "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," and billions of dollars have been spent on the project, according to CNN. Some 80% of the infrastructure constructed for the event is expected to be left up and reused in various projects.
Israel's Foreign Ministry announced previously that the Jewish state will participate in the Expo and expressed excitement that Israel will have "the opportunity to share the spirit of Israeli innovation and entrepreneurship."