Expo 2020 looking for 30,000 volunteers
7,000 register to join team that will be face of region’s biggest event
Residents are invited to be part of Expo 2020 by joining a team of thousands of volunteers, officials said yesterday.
Unveiling a ‘House of Volunteers’ at the Expo site in Jebel Ali yesterday, Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said more than 7,000 volunteers have registered so far. The Expo Bureau is targeting 30,000 volunteers for the event, and doors are open for all residents to join the team that will be the face of the region’s biggest event.
“It is hard to overstate just how important volunteers will be to the success of Expo 2020 Dubai. The volunteers will help welcome the world to the UAE, introducing millions of people to the immersive experience, exciting events and engaging discussions that will take place at the Expo 2020 Dubai site,” Al Hashemi said.
In a major push to hire tens of thousands of residents for the Expo 2020 Dubai, officials unveiled a ‘House of Volunteers’ in Jebel Ali yesterday.
Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, unveiled the initiative at the Expo site, welcoming more than 7,000 volunteers who have registered so far.
The Expo Bureau is targeting 30,000 volunteers for the event, and doors are open for all UAE citizens and residents to join the team that will be the face of the region’s biggest event.
“It is hard to overstate just how important volunteers will be to the success of Expo 2020 Dubai. The volunteers will help welcome the world to the UAE, introducing millions of people to the immersive experience, exciting events and engaging discussions that will take place at the Expo 2020 Dubai site,” said Al Hashemi in her opening remarks at the unveiling of the House of Volunteers.
The House of Volunteers is a dedicated space from which the cadre of volunteers will operate and it will also be the place where they will get interviewed, train, bond together and hang out.
“The House of Volunteers will enable Expo 2020’s volunteer community to learn, network and engage as a group of like-minded people striving towards the same goal,” said Abeer Al Hosani, Head of Volunteers Expo 2020 Dubai.
Though there is no financial compensation for the volunteers, Al Hosani says a reward scheme will be in place to recognise their contributions. However, they will be trained and their catering and transportation needs will be taken care of.
The programme welcomes anyone interested in being part of the Expo team and doesn’t require them to have any previous volunteering experience or specific skill sets. “We are welcoming anyone who is interested in volunteering with us. People of all nationalities are welcome and we are not looking for any specific skills. The ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Any UAE citizen or resident above 18 can join No maximum age limit No previous volunteering experience required No specific skill-sets required
programme is inclusive, we are targeting everyone who lives in the UAE,” Al Hosani said.
She said the Expo team is reaching out to students in universities, private sector and public sector employees, homemakers as well as local communities across the emirates.
No set criteria
Though there is no set criteria for selection, Al Hosani said volunteers will be selected based on their respect for Emirati values and their enthusiasm to serve the community.
“We will interview the candidates keeping in mind the values and charactistics we are looking ■ at. If the candidates show that they respect our values and they are committed and enthusiastic about the Expo, they are in,” said Al Hosani.
She added that anyone who is above 18 years of age can join and there is no maximum age limit, so senior citizens or retired residents can also register.
Those interested in joining can register on the website. Registered members will be called in for a short 15-minute interview at the House of Volunteers. “We have a dedicated page where people can express interest in joining the Expo. The page will be active till 2021, so there is no deadline,” she said.
With 15 dedicated interview hubs at the House of Volunteers, more than 260 people are expected to be interviewed daily.
“The interviews will be a very casual 15 minute conversation to get to know the candidates more and to identify the right talent to assign them the right roles. So far we have defined more than 30 different roles,” Al Hosani said.
Ensuring that volunteers will be able to balance between their work and volunteering duties, the Expo’s volunteering department is working closely with different government entities and HR departments of various firms to work out a policy.
Musab Al Beloushi
25-year-old Emirati business student
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so when got to know about this I grabbed it with both hands. I am so grateful to get selected. Working with the Expo team has been a great experience so far. I have been volunteering for some time now, but volunteering with the Expo team is 360 degrees different for other experiences, I am looking forward to learning more and giving my best.”