On the penultimate day of Expo 2020 Dubai, Organisers and Participants have joined to pay tribute to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on the occasion of BIE Day.

Taking place after the succession of National Days and Honour Days throughout the 182 days of Expo 2020 Dubai, BIE Day is an opportunity for the BIE and its Member States to celebrate the World Expo as it draws to a close and to commemorate the achievements made.

A dedicated ceremony in Al Wasl Plaza kicked off the day's proceedings, with UAE and BIE dignitaries as well as representatives of Member States gathering for the flag-raising ceremony and BIE anthem.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, speaking at the BIE Day Ceremony

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, declared: "To date, we are proud to announce that Expo has received more than 23 million visits, including 3 million visits from school students, over 13,000 Government officials, and more than 80 Heads of State. We are thankful for everyone's contribution, particularly that of our participants, who have shared their unique attributes, successes, and ambitions, and fostered meaningful dialogue through their engagement in our programmes".

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, H.E. Jai-chul Choi, the President of the General Assembly of the BIE, and H.E. Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, during BIE Day

"With only one day left before the closing of our Expo gates, we fondly look back on the meaningful exchanges, celebrations and commitments we have made throughout the past 6 months, and confidently say that we managed to fulfil our promise of astonishing the world with an exceptional global event, thanks to the tremendous support of the BIE and the commitment of all our International Participants and partners".

The Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, speaking at the BIE Day Ceremony

The Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, declared: "Taking place in a period of uncertainty, Expo 2020 Dubai has been a beacon of optimism, imbued with the BIE’s founding values of cooperation and progress. It has shown that more than ever before, the world is calling out for all that Expos stand for: a desire for fraternity, audacious innovation, and optimism in the future".

BIE Day is the occasion for the intergovernmental organisation's Member States to gather and reaffirm their adhesion to the Expo values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation, and to mark the continuity from one Expo to the next.

The ceremony featured cultural performances representing the UAE - the Expo 2020 Dubai host country – and Japan – the host country of the next World Expo taking place in Osaka, Kansai in 2025.

A special edition of the World Majlis conversation series, the last to take part during Expo 2020 Dubai, is also being held in the framework of BIE Day. Gathering a broad range of international thought-leaders around the subject of "A Shared Future", the discussion is aimed at exploring an uncertain future while taking into consideration the insights of the World Majlis series held so far.

Concluding the festivities, the BIE Day Awards Ceremony will be held this evening in Jubilee Park, during which the recipients of the Expo 2020 Dubai Official Participant Awards, of the BIE-Cosmos Prize and of BIE Medals will be announced.

In the evening, Al Wasl Plaza will light up in honour of the BIE, with a specially created immersive experience paying tribute to the history of World Expos and the BIE.

Organised under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo 2020 Dubai is the largest global gathering to take place since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, gathering over 190 countries from around the world, and having received over 23 million visits since it opened its gates on 1 October 2021.

The announcement of all awards can be followed on the BIE's Twitter account. Additionally, Expo 2020 Dubai's Virtual Expo is live-streaming the World Majlis conversation, and the BIE Day Awards Ceremony.