Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee met last week with the Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to give a status report on preparations for hosting the world’s largest exhibition.
Al Tayer, who is also executive director of Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority, provided details of the Expo 2020 Dubai registration dossier, which will be submitted to the BIE during the summer of 2015.
“We continue to welcome the opportunity to share our 2015 plans with the BIE Executive Committee,” he said.
“Their insight, guidance and collaborative spirit is key to our ability to communicate our comprehensive strategies, capture best practices and prepare and execute essential milestones.”
The visit is part of a series of meetings required for Expo 2020 Dubai to achieve official registration.
Dubai was selected as the host city of the 2020 World Expo by the BIE general assembly in November 2013. According to BIE regulations, any Expo project selected by the BIE general assembly must submit its application for registration to the Bureau at the least five years before the opening date.
The Expo’s final registration is then granted by the BIE general assembly upon previous examination and approval of the dossier by competent committees.
Running from 20 October 2020 through 10 April 2021, the Expo will launch the country's Golden Jubilee celebration. With its theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", it will serve as a springboard for a progressive and sustainable vision for the coming decades.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and Southern Asia region.
On a visit to Dubai in March, BIE secretary general Vincente Loscertales said he was pleased with the progress made by the Expo Dubai 2020 and reiterated the BIE’s full support and commitment to ensure it is on course to present a global platform, address global challenges, and leverage the convening power of previous and upcoming Expos, including Expo Milano 2015.
At the meeting with the BIE last week, Al Tayer explained how Expo 2020 Dubai will be presented in the UAE Pavilion during the Expo 2015 Milan, which takes place from May to October 2015, as well as discussing ongoing national engagement activities.
“The submission of our Registration Document, our presence in Milan, and our national engagement activities are all part of our ongoing efforts to deliver on a truly inclusive and extraordinary Expo,” said Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State, Director-General of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.
“We continue to appreciate the BIE process and the occasion to update the Executive Committee on our plans, which we are confident will lead to delivering a transformative World Expo.”
The BIE is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing the organisation of World and International Expos.
