Hosting Expo 2020 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It will be the first time the Expo will be held in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (Menasa) region. And, for the first time in the history of the World Expo, more than 70 per cent of the visitors will come from beyond the host nation.

We had respected competitors, but we presented a robust bid highlighting Dubai’s strengths as a host for such an event, including a sophisticated and integrated infrastructure, the capability to host big events and Dubai’s location as the gateway to a region with more than 2.9 billion people and an annual gross domestic product in excess of $6 trillion.

The masterplan for the Expo site itself and the strategy for the theme of the Expo received acclaim for their technical excellence, professionalism and creativity. Our win showed the value of harnessing the collective power and passion of our city stakeholders. Government entities, businesses and residents backed the bid with enthusiasm.

Expo 2020 will place the region at the heart of a dynamic international agenda aimed at creating global partnerships

We were honoured to receive so many votes in the final round of voting – 116 from the 168 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member nations. A leading member of the BIE general assembly said that he had thought Dubai’s bid was strong enough to win, but he hadn’t expected a victory by as many votes. This shows the strength of our bid and that now – or rather 2020 – is the time for this region to host one of the world’s most significant mega-events. But this was a hard-fought win.

This is a win for the UAE as a whole. The Expo site is equidistant from the centres of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. All seven emirates will benefit from hosting the Expo and they contributed significantly to the win.

Expo impact

Between October 2020 and April 2021, the Expo will attract more than 25 million visitors, including the largest number of international visitors in Expo history. The estimated economic impact of hosting Expo 2020 is approximately e17.7bn ($24bn). But this is just part of the equation. It will create more than 275,000 jobs in Dubai between now and 2021. The legacy of holding such an event is where the real value lies, as well as during the build-up, the six months of the Expo and for many years after.

Sectors that will benefit include construction, engineering and transportation. Construction is a priority for preparing to host Expo 2020. With regards to the Expo site itself, there is a masterplan we will work to. The first stage is the tender process. The Roads & Transport Authority will extend the metro, public transportation and major roads to service the site.

The hospitality, retail and aviation sectors will experience a significant positive impact. Our Tourism Vision for 2020 was independent of the Expo bid, but we will use the Expo to accelerate growth and provide a focal point for that growth. All hospitality indicators, and the Dubai Shopping Festival, which is currently taking place, show that these industries are very healthy. But we need to enhance what we already have and ensure that adequate infrastructure, attractions and accommodation are available in time.

We are working on initiatives to further improve our offering and promote these new additions. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has issued directives to enhance and streamline hotel investment and development in Dubai. They will reduce the hotel construction pre-approval process period from 3-6 months to just 2 months. A one-stop-shop for all sector approvals will be created and operated by Dubai Municipality to reduce red tape for businesses and ensure the new, reduced approval timeframes are met. The approval processes for planning permission for hotels will be standardised through Dubai Municipality. Government land will be allocated for three and four-star hotels.

Long-term vision

The bid was part of the government’s long-term strategic vision. One of the reasons for our win was the infrastructure that is already in place including Dubai’s two international airports, Jebel Ali port and extensive roads, utilities and other hard and soft infrastructure. A further contributor was the plans for development that would have happened regardless of the result of the bid.

Hosting Expo 2020 in the UAE will benefit the whole of the Menasa region. Expo 2020 will place the region at the heart of a dynamic international agenda aimed at creating global partnerships to boost economies, bridge geographical divides by increasing connectivity and trade, and encourage sustainable growth and development.