On October 28th, Soraya Al-Olama, Assistant Manager of North America at Dubai Tourism and an alumna of the Tisch Center gave a presentation to students on Dubai Tourism. She specifically focused on Expo 2020 Dubai, the World Exhibition that will be held from October 2020 to April 2021.
Dubai is now the world's fourth most visited destination in the world, and this is the first Expo to ever occur in the Middle East. Over the 6 months, Expo 2020 will offer excitement for people of all ages and backgrounds. There will be a world of flavors, world-class architecture, innovative landscapes, arts and culture, three thematic districts, and outdoor performances. The Expo will host 60 live shows each day. The event is a large-scale celebration of architecture and innovation, with a range of national pavilions that will be built in different districts. A new light rail service, Route 2020, will allow visitors to access the expo site from any corner of the city, from the airport and from Abu Dhabi. In terms of dining, there will be over 50 cuisines featured in more than 200 restaurants. There will even be a virtual dining experience! Prices for the Expo have been kept affordable: a 1-day pass will cost $33, and a 3-day pass will cost $71.
Soraya also touched upon the Tisch Center;s new J-Term study away course to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which will launch in January 2020. Some of the trip highlights will include a cultural emirati brunch at Arab Culturalist, a visit to the top of Burj Khalifa, an Al Marmoom bedouin camp experience, lunch and presentations by Dubai Tourism at Dubai Tourism HQ, and an Expo 2020 Dubai site inspection and workshop.
At the end of the event, Soraya delighted the students with a raffle for an amazing prize! The grand prize included a two-person package to Dubai which included round-trip plane tickets, lodging, and several excursions and attractions. Tisch Center undergraduate student Sarah Jung was the lucky winner.
To find out more information about the Abu Dhabi J-Term Course, led by Professor K, click here: https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/jonathan-m--tisch-center-of-hospitality/january-in-abu-dhabi-and-dubai--new-study-away-intensive-at-the-.html