Anyone who has driven through Dubai recently has seen the Expo 2020 bid logo plastered on cars, roadsides and houses. If you were to climb Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro, you would see it there, too, on a flag left by UAE mountaineers.
The bid has captured the imaginations of Emiratis and expatriates alike, right across the nation. Now, all that is left is for us to hear the verdict of the International Exhibitions Bureau, which will name the successful candidate in Paris tonight.
No World Expohas previously been held in the Middle East, Northern Africa or South Asia.
As Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, wrote on Twitter last month: “We are ready to host the world in 2020 and are capable of organising the best event ever in the history of this global gathering.”
He is right. But all the same, there will be a lot of tension tonight among the delegates in Paris – and on the streets of Dubai. Every finger and toe will be crossed and if you see colleagues or companions turning blue, don’t panic. They’re just holding their breath and hoping for the right result.
