Infrastructure tenders for World Expo to be issued early 2015
After a year of planning, organisers of the World Expo 2020 have confirmed that tenders for infrastructural development will be issued in early 2015, ensuring that the emirate is fully prepared to assume its hosting duties on time.
Last week, the UAE government revealed it was in the final stages of preparing the documents, which when issued will kick off a host of improvement works across Dubai, including an extension to the metro service and new roads.
Reem Al Hashemi, the UAE minister of state and managing director of the Dubai World Expo 2020 Bid Committee, confirmed that the emirate will invest between $6.2 billion and $8.7 billion (£3.8 billion and £5.4 billion) in construction projects in the run up to the six-month long event.
She told Construction Week Online that the committee 'would be talking a diverse approach to funding the infrastructure demands of Expo 2020', but did not expand any further.
When speaking to the audience at the Africa Global Business Forum in Dubai Ms Al Hashemi said: “It’s a series of different funding mechanisms and portfolios. There’s obviously interest from the private sector already. There’s going to be a government commitment that will contribute.”
Back in August, the organisers of the event said planning for the Expo - which includes residential, hospitality and logistics zones - were progressing well and would likely finish on time.
At the Dubai International Project Management Forum, Helal Al Merri, the chief executive of the Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “As part of the mandatory submission of the registration dossier which is required by the Bureau of International Expositions in late 2015, the work to that has already started…from legacy to partnerships [and] sustainability and everything else. It’s been a very good process over the last year.”
During its run, which begins in October 2020 and finishes in April 2021, the Expo is expected to attract 25 million visitors, of which 17 million will be international travellers. The event will launch Dubai’s ‘Golden Jubilee’ celebration - a festival designed to serve as a springboard for the government’s progressive and sustainable vision for Dubai in the coming years.