Expo 2020 will bring together millions of people under the theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'.

Yes! The countdown has begun as the UAE braces for its big day starting on October 20, 2020, when the Expo 2020 Dubai will welcome the residents, visitors and tourists with arms wide open to be part of the UAE history which will unfold a more dynamic, multicultural and progressive society.

Starting tomorrow, the UAE residents will enjoy a full year-on-year action packed events to keep abreast of the Expo 2020 Dubai development.

Expo 2020 will bring together millions of people under the theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'. The six months from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021, will be part of an unparalleled event extending a warm Emirati welcome to the world.

Sultan Ali Rashed Lootah, chairman, managing director and co-founder of Relam Investment, said: "Expo 2020 comes to my imagination as a clock counting down, moving towards a wake-up ring that will impress the whole universe with a new revolutionary invention that changed the whole meaning of exhibitions and trade. Dubai again impresses the world with Expo 2020. I can't wait to see what Expo has in store for us as a surprise."

The event is expected to welcome 25 million visits, with many expected to come more than once and 70 per cent of visitors anticipated to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.

An entertaining global celebration with something for everyone, Expo 2020 will wow visitors with 60 daily events across 173 days, showcasing the best of music, technology, creativity and culture, while 200 F&B outlets will feature famous chefs and cuisine from every corner of the world. Expo 2020 will be an endless journey of discovery. Visitors will have access to the latest innovations and breakthroughs, with more than 200 participants - including 192 nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions - coming together to highlight real-life solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.

Hans Sandee, Consul-General of the Netherlands and commissioner-general for the Expo 2020, said: "These are exciting times, building up to Expo 2020 Dubai. The countdown has truly begun. An event like this for the first time in the Middle East is something we want to be part of. It will open up new markets for many of our participants and it will create new opportunities for cooperation. The millions of visitors that are expected from all over the world and all walks of life give us the possibility to share our knowledge, innovations and approach to challenges we all encounter. We are ready for Expo 2020 Dubai. Let the greatest show on earth begin."

Expo 2020's sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to make a conscious effort to think and live differently, and give them renewed optimism that, through collaboration, it is possible to make a lasting change to the world. The first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region will be located on a 4.38sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South.

Recalling the sheer excitement when the nation celebrated UAE's selection as the Expo 2020 Dubai venue in 2013, Dounia Fadi, chief operating officer, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Gulf Properties, said: "The Expo 2020 announcement back in November 2013 and the level of excitement everyone experienced was a proud moment indeed.

And to see that coming to life soon is even more exciting. We all are counting the days and the months till Expo 2020. Since I have made Dubai my home, I have only seen it accomplish greatness and milestones that would take other countries decades to achieve. Dubai has always been ahead in the game, building a city for the future and the Expo will be another example of how Dubai sets the bar very high and it will be difficult for anyone who is holding the event next to match what Dubai will create and achieve."

Dubai resident Sanjay Kalia, co-founder of Dana Insurance Brokers, said: "The world is glued to the global event - Expo2020 Dubai - as preparations go in full swing and with every layer of the society participating to offer best to the residents and visitors alike. The Expo is a huge responsibility that the UAE has decided to deliver and it will just as it has been doing for years."

sandhya @khaleejtimes.com