Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau • Interview

Expo 2020 is working hard to ensure it does its part to make the world a more collaborative, inclusive, tolerant, clean, and stable planet.

WITH EXPO 2020 APPROACHING, Dubai is bringing the planet together at a single destination, and we are well on track to bring you the world’s greatest show of human brilliance and achievement. As we recently found from the results of the Dubai-commissioned Global Optimism Outlook Survey, the first such survey in the world, people around the globe are unified by a desire for a more collaborative, inclusive, tolerant, clean, and stable planet. We aim to help meet those laudable desires by presenting the most inclusive and international World Expo in history, thus reinforcing the UAE’s status as a connecting hub for the globe and a place that, as of October 20, 2021, will see 192 participating countries converge, collaborate, and strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations. We will present an enthralled worldwithin-a-world for visitors to explore, highlighting the wonders of each of these 192 nations with no need for a passport.

World Expos have long prided themselves on being catalysts for change, showcasing ground-breaking innovations that impact the world today to this day and sparking discussions that have changed the course of history. Visitors to Expo 2020 will witness new acts of human genius and see what’s next in art, music, food, and tech from around the planet. Across a span of 173 days, we will welcome more than 200 international participants and an estimated 25 million visits. As the first World Expo in the region, for six months, all eyes will be on the UAE as it delivers an exceptional Expo that entertains, enlightens, and unites. It will be the ‘be there’ moment of our time.

Staging such a large-scale, global event is an unrivaled opportunity to showcase our dynamism and hospitality and highlight our vision of the future as we carry this innovative and collaborative spirit forward for generations to come. Hosting it also presents the UAE with a huge social opportunity to inspire and empower millions of visitors, whether it is discovering ways we can pull together to nurture our natural resources at Terra, the sustainability pavilion, or exploring how we can unlock everyone’s potential at the opportunity pavilion.

There is more, however, to our ambitions than 173 days of world-class entertainment and enjoyment. Our goal from

“Expo 2020 is something truly historic, not just for Dubai and the UAE, as we approach our nation’s Golden Jubilee, but for the entire world.”

the very beginning—even before 2013, when Dubai won the right to stage the event—has been to ensure Expo 2020 leaves behind a meaningful and lasting legacy after doors close.. We are committed to extending its benefits beyond the six months of the event and beyond the UAE to the wider region and rest of the world. Not only are we hosting a spectacular mega-event to impress the world, we are also making a long-term investment in the future of our country—one that will significantly boost the UAE’s economy, spur growth, and support jobs for many years to come.

The next 12 months will be an enthralling journey, but there will also be many significant milestones in the days and weeks ahead. We are making great progress, and it is truly exciting to see the transformation of the Expo 2020 site from a barren desert to a global hub for celebration, inspiration, and innovation. We have already completed the three thematic districts, and the construction of the remaining permanent developments are on track to be finished by the end of 2019. This summer, there was incredible demand for ‘The World’s Greatest Show in the Making’ tour, which saw more than 3,300 people snap up all the available seats on bus tours of the Expo 2020 site, with overwhelmingly positive feedback on their experiences.

It will be just one in a series of opportunities for everyone to be part of the Expo 2020 story. There will be more exciting events and activities in the run up to us welcoming the world, and as event time draws near, we will be revealing more of the thrilling programming that we will be packing into our global celebration. Expo 2020 is something truly historic, not just for Dubai and the UAE, as we approach our nation’s golden jubilee, but for the entire world. ✖