Preparations for World Expo 2020 enter next stage
The design and construction plans for the World Expo 2020 are progressing well, with the next phase now well under way, meaning Dubai’s showpiece site will be ready and waiting to play host to the 25 million visitors expected to visit the emirate during the six-month event.
According to the Dubai Expo 2020 Office, the 438-hectare site site and event venue is befitting of the grand extravaganza and will leave behind an “iconic architectural legacy”.
In a statement released yesterday (August 27th), Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, UAE minister of state, managing-director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Preparatory Committee and director-general of the Dubai Expo 2020 Office, said: “Expos have been home to some of the world’s most landmark structures, from the Crystal Palace in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
“Dubai is committed to building on this tradition and making the entire site an experiential environment that fully embodies the essence of our theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’”.
Work will begin on the expansive site from November 2015, once the plans have received the final approval from the Bureau of International Expositions - the governing body behind the World Expo franchise.
Once complete, the Dubai Expo 2020 site will be able to accommodate 300,000 people at any given time, which is more than enough to house the 153,000 weekly visitors expected to make their way to the venue.
In its statement, the committee said the event will kick off the emirate’s Golden Jubilee celebration, while also will serve as a launch pad from which to establish Dubai’s progressive and sustainable vision for the future.
It is predicted that 25 million visitors will make their way to Dubai between October 10th 2020 and April 10th 2021. This influx of travellers will not only provide a boost to the emirate’s economy, but will also strengthen Dubai’s already flourishing tourism and hotel industry. In addition, the inundation will elevate the emirate’s status as a global hub for business, as well as leisure.