Dubai Well Placed To Beat Other 4 Candidate Cities To Host World Expo 2020, After Success Of World Energy Forum 2012
Ahmed bin Shafar of Empower says UAE has proven track record in organizing mega events since nineties
Following the stupendous success in organizing the World Energy Forum 2012 in Dubai attended by some prominent heads of states, the UAE is well placed to beat the other four candidate cities to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, according to Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, which sponsored the event.
Bin Shafar says: “The UAE excelled in organizing the three-day World Energy Forum in terms of planning, topics and flow of activities at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This has certainly boosted the chances of the UAE to host the Expo 2020 as Dubai has a proven track record in organizing mega events since the 90s, backed by the country’s world-class infrastructure.”
Dubai is competing with Sao Paulo (Brazil), Ayutthaya (Thailand), Ekaterinburg (Russia) and Izmir (Turkey) to host the World Expo 2020. Dubai as a host city for Expo 2020 is promoted under the theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Bin Shafar said that the UAE has organized very prestigious events in the past, including IMF 2003. He added that the UAE has the expertise, backed by strategic location and infrastructure that could help it win the bid.
The winning city will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 160 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris.
Dubai enjoys a strategic location with easy accessibility to all parts of the globe, less than 8 hours to Europe and 3 hours to Asian countries. It is rare for cities with same size of Dubai to have an airport network that has the capacity to host 50 million visitors and Al Maktoum airport will be ready before the Expo 2020. The emirate is home for people from more than 200 nationalities.
Bin Shafar added that the UAE is at the forefront of the Arab countries in growth rates as well as quality of life. All these key success factors will play a critical role in enhancing Dubai’s chances of winning the bid for hosting this world class event that comes third in importance, after the World Cup and the Olympics.
Emirate: Dubai
Date: Nov 19, 2012
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