Dubai presents ambitious Expo 2020 plans

Dubai presented ambitious plans today for its hosting of the 2020 World Expo, the first in the Middle East, with organisers hoping to attract 25 million visitors.

Representatives of more than 100 countries gathered in the Emirati city for talks on the event, which Dubai won the right to host in 2013.

“For the first time in the history of World Expos, each country will have an individual pavilion, enhancing the ability of nations to showcase themselves,” organisers said in a statement.

The Expo site will cover 438 hectares (1,080 acres) next to Dubai’s smaller second airport, Al-Maktoum International, which opened in 2013.

Panel discussions and workshops were held during the two-day planning meeting aimed at providing potential participants with details on the Expo 2020 plan and highlighting “business opportunities in the UAE for innovation, trade and investment, and knowledge transfer,” the statement said. The fair will take place from October 2020 to April 2021.