Dubai Expo will open up unlimited opportunities

Dubai (WAM): A UAE paper has said that every five years, and for a period of six months, World Expos attract millions of visitors. The Expo has never been held in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia in the entire history of the event, but in six years' time, history will change. "Expo 2020 will take place from October 2020 to April 2021 in the dazzling city of Dubai. The hosting of Expo 2020 is expected to yield Dh 89 billion in added economic activities and raise the overall GDP of the UAE in a variety of sectors," said The Gulf Today in its editorial on Monday. "As Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State and Managing Director of the Expo 2020 Executive Body, stated, Expo 2020 will provide 277,000 new job opportunities and will have a positive and comprehensive economic impact on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) since they constitute about 95 percent of all registered companies in the UAE. "Each World Expo is a catalyst for economic, cultural and social transformation and generates important legacies for the host city and nation. For instance, Shanghai 2010 World Expo helped transform a heavily industrial city-centre area into a thriving cultural and commercial district, while also bringing its theme: "Better City, Better Life" to the attention of 73 million people. "The next World Expo takes place in Milan, Italy, in 2015 and has the focus: 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life'. The UAE will host World Expo 2020 under the theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future'. "China and India are among the UAE's biggest trading partners and the country's trade with Africa has increased 600 percent since 2000. It is forging new trade relations with Latin America in addition to its strong relations with over 220 countries," the paper added. Embracing more than 200 nationalities and cultures, the UAE is already an important international tourism destination with more than 95,000 hotel rooms and 11 million tourists recorded in 2012. The UAE is also home to 63 business councils and a financial centre for 18 of the world's top 25 international banks, six of the top 10 law firms and six of the top 10 insurance companies. "The awarding of Expo 2020 to Dubai reflects the confidence of the international community in the UAE's abilities. When there is clarity in vision and aspiration to achieve big, countries can take peace, progress and prosperity to new heights. In that sense, the country has repeatedly proved to be a highly progressive country serving as a model for the rest of the world," concluded the Sharjah-based English language newspaper. – Emirates News Agency, WAM