JEDDAH - Dubai erupted in joy after the city won the bid to host the much awaited and publicized Expo 2020 on Wednesday night. Video of Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan waving the UAE flag, sporting the EXPO 2020 t-shirt and cap at the top of Burj Khalifa on Thursday went viral on social media websites, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Radio stations played the national anthem; free Tim Hortons and Baskin Robbins were given away; many educational institutions got a day off to celebrate, and Google Doodle also paid tribute to Dubai's win. Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, was dressed in blue as grand fireworks lit up the faces of thousands of residents in in downtown Dubai. The hashtag #Expo2020 was trending across the region, many royals, celebrities and businessmen took to Twitter to express their excitement. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted: "Dubai #Expo2020 will breathe new life into the ancient role of the Middle East as a melting pot for cultures and creativity." Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted: "This achievement marks a new phase in our journey as a country, and confirms the status of the UAE as a leading nation in the region. The UAE deserved to win the bid to host Expo2020, and Dubai is ready to welcome the world to the best expo in the history of the exhibition." The campaign galvanised huge support internationally but also locally on a large scale. With the National Day coming up on December 2, cars and supermarkets are adorned with UAE flags across the country. "Dubai beat rivals Izmir, Ekaterinburg and Sao Paolo to win the bid to host Expo 2020! I am so proud right now! We all went to Burj Khalifa and watched the fireworks, called each other and congratulated them on the win! We are celebrating this week." said Sasha Abdul, a 23-year-old South African living in Dubai. Saleh Al Braik (@FearlessinDubai), an Emirati national, shared pictures on instagram and tweeted: "DUBAI has WON the bid for the Expo. And NOW we call it #DubaiExpo2020. Congratulations my beautiful Dubai. #Expo2020." Christophe Hobeika (@ChrisHobeika) tweeted: "Thank you @BaskinRobbins for giving away free #icecream @MadinatJumeirah to celebrate @DubaiExpo2020!" Mohamed Akl (@Dedman_Akl) tweeted: "Congratulations to the #UAE for the #Expo2020 coming to #Dubai & the 42nd National Day. This country's come a long way in a short time." “It's fantastic for Dubai and the UAE. Our chairman (HH Sheikh Ahmed) and HE Reem Al Hashimy worked hard, and one of the very important parts of the Dubai bid is we have a fantastic airlift. Every day we have a ‘mini expo' with people coming from all over the world connecting through Dubai. The city is the centre of the demographic world, three billion people are flying today per year, so we have the possibility to grow. We will continue to launch five-to-eight new destinations per year until 2020,” said Thierry Antinori, EVP and chief commercial officer, Emirates in an official statement.
