Drill held as Expo 2020 opening date approaches

The UAE is fully prepared to host Expo 2020 Dubai this year, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

The event is expected to attract millions of visitors from more than 190 nations from October 1 to March 31.

Sheikh Mohammed’s comments came as Dubai Police General HQ and Expo 2020 Dubai Office on Monday carried out a drill to test their response to emergencies.

“As part of the preparations for Expo 2020, 72 working teams from federal and local authorities completed a joint strategic exercise to simulate Expo in October. We can say that the UAE is 100 per cent prepared for the largest cultural event in the world,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.

The exercise was attended by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Office.

Sheikh Saif said the drills were “aimed at leveraging team performance and boosting their emergency response”.

Preparations for the event have been gradually building this year, with more than 100,000 visitors getting an early glimpse of Terra – the Sustainability Pavilion – during a three-month showcase for residents.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Sunday visited the site to inspect its progress.

He said Expo 2020 Dubai was set to be “the most exceptional” in the world event’s 168-year history.