{"id":19198,"date":"2018-10-20T07:24:30","date_gmt":"2018-10-20T07:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=19198"},"modified":"2018-10-20T07:24:30","modified_gmt":"2018-10-20T07:24:30","slug":"dubai-starts-its-expo-countdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=19198","title":{"rendered":"Dubai starts its Expo countdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\nDUBAI: With only two years to go until the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai, preparations are under way to deliver what will be the first Expo in the region.
More than 170 countries have committed to take part in the event, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Italy, the UK, Indonesia and France.
\u201cEveryone at Expo 2020 Dubai is working hard to deliver a World Expo that has real relevance and impact across continents and generations,\u201d said Maha Al-Gargawi, director of international participants for the event. \u201cThe UAE is extremely proud to host the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region\u2019s first World Expo, but we also understand that this is a global effort.\u201d
One of the planning team\u2019s main goals is to stage the most international World Expo in history. It expects 70 percent of its visitors to come from outside the UAE \u2014 the largest proportion of international visitors in 167 years of World Expos.
\u201cThe number of participating countries is significant this far out from the Expo, and we are excited to see how these will bring to life our theme of \u2018Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,\u2019 as well as our three key sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability,\u201d Al-Gargawi said.
\u201cSome countries have already started to reveal their pavilion designs and themes, providing a flavor of what millions of visitors can expect to see at Expo 2020. Combined with the many unique and exciting visitor experiences our team is creating, these engaging national pavilions will help Expo to attract its expected 25 million visits, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who comes.\u201d Saudi Arabia has not yet revealed the details of its pavilion but is expected to do so soon.
Construction is well advanced on the three theme districts that form the core of the Expo site. The foundations are complete and the buildings are taking shape.
To date, more than 42 million work hours have been completed on the site and there are now around 20,000 workers on site.
\u201cWhen we open our doors on Oct. 20, 2020, we want to welcome visitors and participants to an awe-inspiring site that is flawlessly presented,\u201d Al-Gargawi said. \u201cWe are progressing well with the recruitment of more than 30,000 volunteers who will help to welcome the world to the UAE in 2020. They will introduce millions of people to the immersive experiences, exciting events and engaging discussions that will take place at our site every day.\u201d\"\"
Last month, Expo 2020 Dubai launched its House of Volunteers \u2014 a creative hub that will host special events and exclusive activities for volunteers on the journey to 2020 and throughout the six months of Expo. \u201cAs with any project of this magnitude, we have to overcome new obstacles on a daily basis, and our world-class team works closely with partners, participants and other stakeholders to ensure we are able to turn challenges into opportunities,\u201d she explained. \u201cThis is what World Expos are all about. We are constantly working to ensure we tweak elements of the Expo to ensure the best possible visitor experience in 2020.\u201d
The Sustainability Pavilion, designed by Grimshaw Architects, explores the potential for buildings to be self-sustaining in water and energy by using innovative combinations of technologies to harvest solar power and water from the air. It is due to be completed by October 2019. \u201cExpo 2020 Dubai represents a unique opportunity to showcase the MEASA region\u2019s culture and achievements and provide a platform for our young and dynamic population to connect with the world,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to trigger a long-term effect in this region and the wider world, inspiring the next generation of innovators, business executives and thought leaders.\u201d
The team is also focused on ensuring that Expo 2020 provides significant economic benefits and investment to stimulate new job opportunities in the UAE and across the region. \u201cExpo 2020 will also provide the UAE and the wider region with an opportunity to show a different, modern, progressive side of our cultures and people to the many millions of visitors we look forward to welcoming from around the world,\u201d Al-Gargawi said. \u201cFrom the very beginning, Expo 2020 has been committed to building a legacy that is meaningful and sustainable, extending its impact and benefits beyond the UAE to the wider region and the rest of the world. Expo\u2019s long-term approach is based on four pillars: physical, economic, social and reputational.\u201d
Last year, 10.8 billion dirhams ($2.9 billion) of Expo construction contracts and 411 million didrhams of non-construction contracts were awarded. More than 24,000 businesses from 145 countries are registered to do business with Expo 2020 Dubai, and 3,891 contracts have been awarded, with small and medium enterprises winning 56 percent of these.
Expo 2020 will also spur significant long-term economic growth. By building ties that will remain well beyond 2020, Expo will contribute to new business generation, GDP growth and job creation across the Middle East.
\u201cFrom a social perspective, Expo 2020 is an opportunity to inspire, empower and collaborate with our youth, enabling young people to expand their horizons,\u201d she added. \u201cIt will encourage an understanding of \u2014 and an interest in \u2014 key drivers of future progress in line with our three key sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. A number of Middle Eastern countries have already announced their participation, and we expect more to follow in the lead-up to the event. Nations from our region that have already confirmed their participation include Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.\u201d
Expo Live, the event\u2019s innovation and partnership program, provides grants of up to $100,000 for projects that have a positive social or environmental impact. Expo Live is also keen to engage Saudi entrepreneurs. \u201cExpo 2020 Dubai is committed to recognizing the efforts and achievements of innovators from across Saudi Arabia and the wider region,\u201d Al-Gargawi explained. \u201cThe program offers an amazing opportunity for social entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia to show the world how the country is working to benefit communities both domestically and internationally.\u201d
Expo 2020 launched Expo Live to fund, and promote creative solutions that improve people\u2019s lives, preserve the planet or both. \u201cIt is harnessing the convening power of World Expos to demonstrate how innovations coming from all places and people can advance the pace of progress and inspire a more inclusive and prosperous future,\u201d she added. \u201cInnovation can come from anywhere to everyone, which is why we want to support projects from Saudi Arabia and beyond, helping change-makers to maximize their impact. Successful applicants may also get the chance to showcase their innovative solutions to millions of visitors at the next World Expo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DUBAI: With only two years to go until the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai, preparations are under way to deliver what will be the first Expo in the region.More than 170 countries have committed to take part in the event, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Italy, the UK, Indonesia and France.\u201cEveryone at Expo 2020 Dubai is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":19199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle_east_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}