Middle East Newsletter: Bustling Dubai Readies for Expo Crowds

With just days to go till Dubai starts to welcome tourists for Expo 2020, the city is bustling. Business is in full swing, restaurants have to be booked in advance and luxury sports cars swarm the entrances of five-star hotels.

The exhibition, which runs for six months from Oct. 1, will be among the biggest in-person events since the pandemic began. Dubai has spent billions of dollars to prepare infrastructure that now resembles a small town spanning the length of hundreds of football stadiums.

It comes as Covid-19 cases in the United Arab Emirates continue to tick down — the country reported the fewest infections in more than a year on Sunday and restrictions are loosening.

That has helped put Dubai on track to become one of the hottest job markets, with hotels and airlines leading the charge. Dubai Airports expects the number of international visitors to double next year, a target that will benefit from Britain’s decision to accept vaccinations administered in the UAE, and as U.S. restrictions ease.