Delegations from the four cities vying to host World Expo 2020 have arrived in Paris ahead of the final decision, which is due to be announced on 27 November.

Dubai is competing against three other cities – Izmir in Turkey, Sao Paulo in Brazil and Yekaterinburg in Russia – for the right to host the event in 2020, which is due to provide a significant boost to the winning city’s economy and public profile.

The UAE has sent a seven-member delegation to support Dubai’s bid, including chairman of the Expo Committee, Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum and deputy chairman, the chief executive officer of Emirates Airline Mohammed Ebrahim al-Shaibani.

The assembly of the awarding body, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), will take place on 26 and 27 November with the various delegates of the BIE voting for their preferred bids on the second day.

Under the voting process, if no city wins 50 per cent of the vote, the lowest-scoring city is removed from the ballot and the process is repeated until a city receives half or more of the vote.

Dubai is thought to have a strong chance of winning the event, with its bid receiving support from the leaders of several major world economies including France, the UK, Italy, Canada and the Netherlands

The emirate proposes to build the 2020 World Expo in the planned 400-hectare ‘Exhibition City’, next to Dubai World Central area and the newly-opened Al-Maktoum International Airport.

Dubai’s bid budgets $7bn in capital spending, most of which is likely to be invested towards the end of the decade.