Walid Ahmed, Senior Manager of Festivals and Events at DXB LIVE, has revealed that total attendance at the fan zone at the Dubai World Trade Centre reached 33,000 fans by the end of the Morocco–France quarter-final match at the World Cup. He confirmed that numbers are expected to rise as the final rounds get under way, given strong ticket demand and growing interest in watching World Cup matches at the largest fan zone in the UAE, which replicates the atmosphere of real stadiums — a factor that has driven high attendance since the tournament began.
Walid Ahmed told Al Bayan that a number of matches sold out entirely in record time, noting that some games had all their tickets sold within just 5 minutes. He indicated that the fan zone has a capacity of approximately 2,000 spectators and is designed to bring together supporters of both teams in an atmosphere of excitement and tolerance, adding that the final rounds are expected to draw large crowds from a wide range of international fan bases.
Diverse activities
Walid Ahmed explained that the events are not limited to match screenings alone, but also include a variety of activities organised in cooperation with the official supporters' associations of the participating national teams. He noted that the success achieved was the result of integrated efforts between the management of the Dubai World Trade Centre, the organising bodies, supporters' associations, and the various working teams.
High attendance
Walid Ahmed indicated that attendance is expected to increase further during the final rounds of the tournament, anticipating full capacity crowds. He urged fans to follow the DXBLive account to find out when tickets go on sale and to book early before they sell out.
Walid Ahmed also noted that the fan zone has attracted a diverse audience of different nationalities, pointing out that the Portugal–Spain match, for example, was held in front of a packed crowd with no empty seats remaining, as was the case with many other matches. He affirmed that this year's tournament is seeing a remarkable diversity among its audiences.