Expo 2020 Dubai is four years away, but the preparations for the world’s largest faire are well underway in the emirate. 

The $7 billion, six-month long event will carry the theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” with 3 subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. 

Hosting World Expo is no small feat. Reading these 10 stunning facts about Expo 2020 Dubai will help you understand the magnitude and scale of this global event:

1. 25 million visitors

Between its opening day on 20 October 2020, and its closing date on 10 April 2021, it is expected that Expo will be visited by 25 million visitors. That’s the population of Greece and Belgium combined. 

2. Largest percentage of foreign visitors

Dubai Expo will be the first in history to have the largest percentage of international visitors. 70% of all visitors are expected to come from outside the UAE. 

3. Dubai beat out Russia and Brazil

To win the right to host Expo, Dubai had to compete with more than 8 cities such as Sao Poulo (Brazil), Izmir (Turkey), Ekaterinburg (Russia) and Ayuthaya (Thailand). 

4. It creates over 200,000 jobs

Employment is a big factor in Expo 2020, with expectations of creating 277,149 jobs. 40% of these jobs will be in the travel and tourism sector. 

5. A megastructure

Despite its size and mega structure, the Expo 2020 site is designed to be accessed and explored entirely by foot. The site is 4 KM long and 1.8 KM wide. 

6. Sustainability is key

Sustainability is a subtheme for Expo 2020, therefore, half of the electricity used during the event will be generated by wholly renewable sources.

7. Reusing construction material

Continuing with the theme of sustainability, 90 percent of the material used in permanent construction on the site will be reused or repurposed in the legacy buildings and infrastructure. 

8. Logo modeled after an ancient golden ring

Despite organizing an international competition to design a logo for Expo 2020, the chosen logo was decided by His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The logo is modeled after an ancient golden ring that was discovered on an archaeological site called Saroug Al Hadeed. 

9. 100,000 hotel rooms

Dubai is expected to have 100,000 hotel rooms by 2020 to cater for the target of 20 million tourists by that same year. 

10. It starts on the UAE's 50th National Day

Expo 2020 will coincide with the UAE’s 50th unification and independence anniversary, which means a spectacular and unprecedented celebration is in store!