World Expos are among the largest global, non-commercial events London – Tom Rollins The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are preparing to launch a bid to host the 2020 World Expo, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Thursday. The UAE, Brazil, Russia , Thailand and Turkey have all officially bid to host the World Expo 2020 and no more submissions can now be placed.
“If Dubai is successful in its bid, the Expo will attract opportunities not only for Dubai and the UAE, but across the region and the world,” said Dubai’s Civil Aviation chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Maktoum added that the total economic impact of the Expo would be huge.
“The total economic output across Dubai economy would amount to €28.8bn,” he said, adding that “more than 277,000 jobs will be added to the economy” during the Expo itself.
There are just nine months to go until the Bureau International des Expositions’ (BIE) General Assembly in November, when the crucial vote will take place to decide the winning host city for World Expo 2020.
The World Expo is one of the largest global, non-commercial events in terms of economic and cultural impact, after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
If the UAE’s bid is to be successful, it will be the first Expo for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.