Expo 2020Expo 2020 is aUniversalscale Registered Exposition time slot sanctioned by theBureau of International Expositions(BIE),Parison 27 November 2013. Dubai in theUnited Arab Emirateswon the right to hold Expo 2020.

ParametersAs a Registered Exposition it may be a maximum of six months in length and adhere to a wide universal theme that applies to all humanity. Past themes of Universal Expositions include "Man and His World"MontrealExpo 67, and "Discovery"SevilleExpo 92.Bids and biddingOnce a city is lodged a bid with the BIE other cities had six months to respond, with the earliest allowed time to lodge a bid being 2011, and the latest 2014. With an early 2011 bid lodgment to the BIE, Izmir of Turkey and Ayutthaya of Thailand initiated the six-month window for other cities to bid. This window closed on 2 November 2011, at which point 5 cities had lodged their bids with the BIE, with Dubai making a last minute entry. The BIE voted on the winning host city on 27 November 2013.Five cities originally bid for the slot for a world's fair in 2020, with four remaining: Dubai, UAE; Ekaterinburg, Russia; Izmir, Turkey; or So Paulo, Brazil. Expo 2020 will represent a first as a Middle Eastern destination will be hosting the event for the first time.The following cities lodged bids to the BIE for hosting the 2020 EXPO: zmir,Turkey Yekaterinburg,Russia So Paulo,Brazil Dubai,United Arab Emirates

EXPODubai2020

Overview

BIE-classUniversal exposition

CategoryInternational Registered Exhibition

Location

CountryUnited Arab Emirates

CityDubai

Timeline

AwardedNovember27,2013

OpeningOctober10,2020

ClosureJanuary10,2021

Universal editions

PreviousExpo 2015inMilan

NextExpo 2025in TBD

Specialized expositions

PreviousExpo 2017inAstana

NextExpo 2022

Horticultural expositions

Previous2019 World Horticultural ExpositioninBeijing

NextFloriade 2022inAlmere

DubaiUAE selected the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.In todays highly interconnected world, a renewed vision of progress and development based on shared purpose and commitment is key. While a single human mind, an individual country, or a specific community is both unique and remarkable, it is by working collaboratively that we truly advance, Dubai RulerSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoumsaid in support of the bid. The World Expo in Dubai in 2020 will be the first to be held in the MENA & SA (Middle East and North Africa & South Asia) region.On 27 November 2013, when Dubai won the right to host the expo 2020, fireworks erupted at the world's tallest building,Burj Khalifa. A national holiday was declared the following day for all educational institutions across the country. The Dubai Ruler promised Dubai would "astonish the world," in 2020. The staging of the world fair and the preparations leading are up to it are expected to result in 277,000 new jobs in the UAE, an injection of nearly $40 billion into the economy, and an increase in visitors of at least 25 million and up to 100 million. The world's tallest commercial tower to be built in Dubai, in Jumeirah Lake Towers, was given the name "Burj 2020" in honour of the World Expo 2020. There are reports which have analysed the recent economic downturn and predict that World Expo 2020 held in Dubai, will lead to a property bubble, which might have far reaching consequences. Additionally, there is aFacebookpage, which aims to highlight the prevailing sub-standardHuman Rightsconditions as well as the general attitudes towards foreign workers

Over $18bn spending at stake as Dubai awaits Expo 2020 news

Residents of Dubai will on Wednesday discover whether the city has won the right to host the World Expo 2020, with expenditure on the event likely to reach several billion dollars if the emirate's bid is successful.The UAE emirate is competing with cities in Turkey, Brazil and Russia to host the event. Despite uncertainty on the economic benefits Expo 2020 may bring, experts agree that a winning bid would accelerate infrastructure projects, as well as promote Dubai and boost its tourism sector According to HSBC, overall expenditure to prepare the emirate for the six-month global fair may exceed $18.3 billion. Of this amount, the Dubai government is expected to spend $1.4bn to expand the Dubai metro, and $1.7bn in operational expenses during the event. The bank forecasted that $9.5bn of spending would come from the private sector.Dubais real estate and banking sectors are most likely to benefit from a winning bid, as HSBC estimated that UAE-based banks have the capacity to lend a further Dh312 billion in real estate loans until 2017, Bloomberg reported. On the other hand, concerns were raised over the formation of another property bubble, similar to the one in 2008 that led to a crash in the real estate sector. Bank America forecasted a 0.5 percent growth in Dubai economy between 2016 and 2019, and 2 percent growth during 2020 and 2021, in the case of a winning bid.OurBidFor our bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, the UAE has selected the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.In todays highly interconnected world, a renewed vision of progress and development based on shared purpose and commitment is key. While a single human mind, an individual country, or a specific community is both unique and remarkable, it is by working collaboratively that we truly advance.

A World Expo in Dubai in 2020 would be the first to be held in the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region. As the global community faces ever more complex, and increasingly interconnected challenges, the links between people, societies and ideas have never been more important. Dubai Expo 2020 will be a platform for connectivity to help pioneer new partnerships for growth and sustainability for the future.

VenueThe site for World Expo 2020 Dubai will be Dubai Trade Center Jebel Ali: a 438 hectare site on the southwestern edge of Dubai.Equidistant from the centres of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the site is located next to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and also located in close proximity to Jebel Ali Port, the third busiest port in the world.

Last year alone, more than 51 million passengers travelled through Dubai International Airport, where 150 airlines serve 220 destinations on six continents. Led by the success of Emirates Airline, the worlds fastest-growing airline, Dubai Airport is now poised to be the worlds busiest international airport by 2015.

The logistical advantages of the site both for exhibitors bringing in materials and constructing pavilions and visitors, are clear. Securing an architectural legacy from Expo 2020, after the event the Dubai Trade Center Jebel Ali will be a lasting and working monument to the power of connectivity: a place for people to come together and make a difference

Staging an Expo toremember2021 will be the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. In the life of an individual half a century is a long time. Yet 50 years makes the UAE one of the youngest countries on the planet, with one of the most youthful populations 50 per cent is under 20.

The rapid development of the UAE and Dubai shows whats possible here. We will harness the same energy and enthusiasm in microcosm at the Expo site.The UAE is logistically ready to host a World Expo. Two thirds of the worlds population now lives within an eight-hour flight of Dubai. Just under nine million visitors made the trip here last year. 80,000-plus hotel rooms will keep visitors comfortable during their visit to the Expo. Unrivalled connectivity, superb logistics and world-class infrastructure are at the heart of our bid. Philosophically, politically, creatively, logistically, Dubai is already coming together to deliver a World Expo that will inspire all who experience it and live long in the collective memory.BidCommitteeReporting to the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Higher Committee on Hosting the World Expo 2020 is working on the bid under the chairmanship of Dubai Civil Aviation Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Rulers Court of Dubai, who serves as Deputy Chairman; Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and the Committee's Managing Director; His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority; His Excellency Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality; His ExcellencyHelal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre and Director General of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing; and Major General Khamis Mutar Al Muzainah, Deputy Commander General of Dubai Police.

Expo bidpartnersThe UAE bid team has welcomed a number of partnerships with companies wishing to lend support to the 2020 World Expo campaign. There are three tiers of partnerships: Premier Partners Lead Partners Official Partners. Premier partners

Six of the United Arab Emirates most successful companies have announced their official support for the campaign to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.

The six Premier Partners of the UAEs World Expo 2020 bid are: Dubai Airports, Emirates Airline, Emirates NBD, Etisalat, DP Worldand Jumeirah Group.

Each of the partners will engage in a wide range of activities to promote the countrys efforts to host the first Expo ever in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia region. The benefits that these internationally renowned companies will bring to the campaign will be far reaching, attracting global recognition for the bid through their numerous overseas operations.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of the Emirates Group, and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai said of the new Premier Partners: We are extraordinarily pleased that five of the leading companies in the UAE have joined this important national effort, underlining our countrys commitment to the bid. With their active support, the UAE is now even more strongly positioned to be selected as the host nation for this celebration of new ideas and global partnerships, which will provide enduring benefits for future generations here at home and across the world.

The Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo announced that it will further expand this partnership network, welcoming additional firms and organisations that share a commitment to achieving the nations strategic goal.

Lead PartnersLead Partners will work with the Dubai, UAE Expo 2020 team to raise awareness about the UAEs bid to host Expo 2020 in Dubai. The Dubai Department for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) was recently named as a Lead Partner. DTCM will work with the Expo team through a series of ongoing outreach initiatives which include hosting conventions, branding and distribution of informational material across Dubai.

Dubai Crown Prince scales Burj Khalifa to celebrate Expo 2020 winA 15-second video showed the Crown Prince of Dubai sitting atop the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, and carrying the UAE flag in celebration of his country winning the World Expo 2020 bid.Prince Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum published the video on his Instagram account Wednesday, and wrote a congratulatory message to the UAE.This flag is accustomed to being at the top, and all the summits will belong to it, he wrote in Arabic.

On Wednesday, the UAE beat bids from Turkeys Izmir, Brazils Sao Paulo, Russias Yekaterinburg after three rounds of voting by delegates of the 168-nation Bureau International des Expositions in Paris. After the announcement celebration ensued in the UAE by citizens and residents. The worlds tallest tower was sparkling with lights. Burj Khalifa, which towers at 2,717 feet, had fireworks around it to show over-the-top glitz festivity. Winning the World Expo is not only a milestone for the UAE but for the region, as it is the first time a Mideast country will ever host the exhibition

International press reacts to Dubai Expo 2020 win

Gulf News published a ful-page statement congratulating on Dubais winning bid to host the World Expo 2020. (Photo courtesy: Gulf News)

The Kuwait Times ran a front-page and an editorial congratulating Dubai for its winning big to host the Expo 2020.

Dubai-based The National announced Dubais winning bid to host the World Expo 2020. Dubai Expo 2020 seen boosting economy, but some fear a bubble

Dubaiswinning bid to host the Expo 2020is forecast to boost trade, tourism and property prices but some analysts warn that another real estate bubble is in the making.The emirate today won the right to host the world exhibition in seven years time, having fought off competition from rival bids from cities in Russia, Turkey and Brazil.Dubai is set to spend almost $8.1 billion on infrastructure projects ahead of the Expo 2020, with total investments including those from the private sector expected to exceed $15 billion.Mohammad Kamal, director of equity research at Arqaam Capital, said trade and tourism are likely to be the primary beneficiaries of Dubais Expo win. [Bigger] tourist numbers would engage the private sector via the hospitality industry as well [as bringing] an increased footfall at prime retail destinations such as Dubai Mall, Kamal told Al Arabiya News. Kamal forecasts a broad-based appreciation of property prices following Dubais Expo win, as well as higher rental yields.Matthew Green, head of research at property services firm CBRE, said that the cost of living and rents is already on the rise in Dubai Residential rents are up about 23 percent over the past year alone, he told Al Arabiya News. Green said that the positive Expo 2020 bid could see this trend continue.In the short term, we can probably expect to see that continue The core sectors are already doing well. Tourism, retail, trade, manufacturing, theyre all performing very very well, and giving Dubai a solid grounding for growth. Jackie Johns, general manager at real estate agency Dubai Luxury Homes, warned that property owners may be pinning their hopes on the Expo, bringing unrealistic expectations.The sellers are waiting for the Expo to increase the property prices. My fear is that their expectations might be a little bit too much, and my worry is that the market might stagnate a little bit until the buyers get an appetite again, said Johns. We did see some huge growth, but the governments were doing everything possible to slow that down, so that we didnt create a bubble, which theyve done really effectively. Others however said Dubais property market was indeed like a bubble, suggesting that unsustainable real-estate price rises would eventually lead to a crash.If things continue the way they are most probably were heading towards a bubble. The strong growth rate we are seeing... is not sustainable, said Saadallah al-Abed, a manager at Colliers International. Prices grew at 34 or 35 percent in less than a year, and that is not sustainable by any standards, he added.A lot of whats happening now with the whole Expo announcement is all sentiment, because the fundamentals or the demand is not going to change overnight but its just the sentiment that will change the market. Al-Abed pointed to likely rises in property rents within Dubai. Landlords will put their property back in the market at much higher prices than they were, he said. There might be some buyers thinking that [prices] might increase further, but at the end of the day after few months, or maybe a year, the market will stabilize, because the Expo is a good seven years from now.Others disagreed that there is a bubble forming, saying that Expo 2020 is likely to make people think long-term about investing in Dubai. [Expo 2020 in Dubai is] good, because hopefully the people who decide to buy are buying with a more long-term view, said Richard Paul, head of UAE residential property valuations at Cluttons. Whether or not it will cause another bubble, I doubt that Hopefully itll just a catalyst for stable growth in Dubai over the next seven years, he added.Mazen Irsheid, head of research at United Financial Investments in Jordan, pointed to another factor behind the expected economic uplift in Dubai. Foreign investors look for stable locations. Even if Dubai did not win the Expo 2020, Irans interim nuclear deal will attract foreign investors to Dubai, he said. We have seen the rise in stocks [in Dubai] especially within real estate and banking sectors this happened over the past few days, he added. The Iran deal presents a geo-political stability which would allow Dubai to go forward with other development and projects

Princess Haya announces $133m entrepreneurship fund at Expo 2020 speechPrincess Haya bin Al Hussein, wife of Dubais ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, yesterday announced plans to launch a $133 million fund to encourage entrepreneurship.The fund will accelerate entrepreneurial spirit around the world and support projects of varying size, scale and stages of development; all with the same objective of delivering a lasting and positive impact, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted Princess Haya as saying. Speaking at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, Princess Haya presented Dubais World Expo 2020 bid. The BIE is expected to announce in November which city has won the right to host the expo.It was revealed on Wednesday that arival bid city in Thailand had been disqualified, reducing the number of contending cities to four. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a boost to Dubais economy should its bid be successful.

Dubai aims to build on its successes in becoming a services hub for the wider region and recently announced plans for several megaprojects in real estate and tourism. If Dubai succeeds in its bid for the World Expo 2020, the implementation of many of these plans would likely accelerate, an IMF report said earlier this week.

Over 250 RTA staff attend workshop on UAEs bid to host Expo2020

Senior-level RTA staff learn how government organizations can take part in raising awareness for Expo 2020 bid

In a clear sign of the growing enthusiasm for the UAEs bid to host the World Expo in 2020, over 250 senior-level Roads & Transport Authority staff members attended a workshop this week to learn more about the bid process and how government organizations can help raise awareness for this important national effort. Held under the authority of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo, workshop attendees listened to a presentation about the history of World Expos and the UAEs bid to host this major global event. Attendees also gained insight into the vision of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo and how the event can benefit the countrys economy. RTA staff also learned how they can take part in the awareness campaign for the bid, by including the Expo 2020 logo on company stationery, presentations and email signatures while spreading the word among their friends and colleagues.

RTAs CEO of Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, Jawad Al Redha said: We, at RTA, are all committed to effectively contributing to make Expo 2020 a success through the infinite support we shall provide to the visitors and participants in this landmark event, which will indisputably play a vital role in enhancing the prestigious global position of the UAE in general, and Dubais position in particular.The workshop is part of a series of Expo 2020 educational events organised for government departments and agencies across the nation. The goal of the program is to involve government officials and staff in the bid campaign and encourage everyone to take part. Dubai, UAE, is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the 2020 World Expo, including Ayutthaya (Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey); and Sao Paulo (Brazil). The winning city will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 160 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions the international organization responsible for overseeing the bidding, selection and organization of World ExpoThe UAE is bidding to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai under the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.Every five years and for a period of six months, World Expos attract millions of visitors. The World Expo has never been held in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia in the history of the event.

The Dubai Expo 2020 bid film BillGatesBill Gates looks back at his experience of the 1962 Expo in Seattle and tells us why he believes that despite the rise of the digital world, physical meeting points still have a place in todays world.

World Expo- 2020: Pakistan becomes sandwich between two friendly countries

DUBAI: Pakistan seems to have become a sandwich between two friendly countries for its vote in a World Expo 2020.A Gulf newspaper carried a story against Pakistan and expressed doubts over Islamabads credibility as a friend. The paper harshly criticized Pakistan for voting in favour of Turkey and didnt forget to mention Dubais support for Islamabad in trade and other fields.The newspaper carried the story under the headline Pakistan and Afghanistan betrayed a friend. Although, people of Pakistan has nothing to do with authorities' decision to vote in favour of Turkey or against Dubai as it was government's responsibility to take an appropriate decision or fulfill their commitment with Dubai, the newspaper seems to have gone overboard in criticizing Pakistan in a news item which required a balanced approach.