Construction to start on infrastructure for Dubai Expo 2020 site

Reem Al Hashimy, the Minister of State for International Cooperation and director general of the expo, said the aim is to complete construction of the site one year ahead of the opening ceremony on 20 October, 2020.

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DUBAI // Work will begin this summer on infrastructure for the Dubai Expo.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and director general of the Expo, said on Monday that the aim was to complete the site a year before the opening ceremony on October 20, 2020.

After the site was complete, she said participating countries would build their own pavilions to be completed at least four months ahead of the opening.

There were 1,575 days until the event and the project was progressing on schedule.

The Expo 2020 site will be part of a new city with its own unique infrastructure, facilities and services, Ms Al Hashimy said.

She predicted it would be the “most visited mega event of 2020”, with about 25 million visitors.

She said the Expo planned to host more than 180 nations “as part of a global festival of innovation and imagination”.

The project will have specific standards in areas such as sustainability and environmental protection, including a public commitment to using at least 50 per cent renewable energy at the site.

Ms Al Hashimy said past Expos had provided a significant boost to the trade sectors of host countries, spurring growth of between 20 and 25 per cent.

She expected the private sector to play a major role in the event.

Over the past two months, Expo 2020 Dubai has signed up Emirates airline, Etisalat and DP World as premier partners in deals worth hundreds of millions of dirhams.

rruiz@thenational.ae