Mariah Carey, Hussain Al Jassmi's performances mark one-year countdown to Expo 2020 Dubai

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DUBAI - With exactly 365 days to go for the UAE's most-anticipated show yet, where up to 192 countries will be well represented, spectacular family-friendly events were organised Sunday -October 20th- across the country's seven emirates to mark the countdown for Expo 2020 Dubai which will kick off in exactly 12 months from now.

Expo 2020 Dubai is the World’s Greatest Show" and Sunday October 20 marks exactly one year until the world’s first-ever Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region launches under the grand theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

The highlight of Sunday's nationwide celebrations was with global superstar Mariah Carey and acclaimed Emirati artist and Expo 2020 Ambassador Hussein Al Jassmi who performed live in the Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. Simultaneous festivities took place at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah, Ajman Museum, Umm Al Quwain Corniche, Al Qawasim Corniche in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah Fort.

Every event featured grassroots music and performing arts, amazing food, graphic art and more – plus live streams of Dubai’s headline acts and the Burj Khalifa countdown.

Carey is a singer, songwriter, actress, record producer and entrepreneur who has sold more than 200 million records, making her one of the bestselling musicians of all time. She has written 17 US number one singles, more than any other female songwriter in history, including We Belong Together, Hero and Fantasy.

Sharjah-born star Al Jassmi is a bestselling Arabic-language artist, with songs including Boshret Kheir and Bawada’ak. He is also known for his humanitarian work, regularly visiting refugee camps in the region, and was the first Arab artist invited to perform at the Vatican’s annual Christmas charity concert in 2018, where he met with Pope Francis and conveyed the UAE’s values of tolerance between all people and religions.

From 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai will be an unmissable celebration that also aims to create a better future, bringing together 192 participating nations and millions of people from across the globe.

Expect plenty more A-list entertainers plus cutting-edge tech, jaw-dropping architecture, world-famous chefs, 60-plus live shows per day, more than 200 dining outlets and culture from every corner of the planet at the World’s Greatest Show.