Lyon announces support to Dubai’s Expo 2020 bid

dubai — The city of Lyon in France has announced its official support to Dubai bid to host World Expo 2020.

Gerard Collomb, Senator-Mayor of Lyon and President of Greater Lyon said: “Dubai’s bid for the World Expo 2020 demonstrates how large cities can rise to the challenges of the future, which is relevant to Lyon’s own international development plan.”

“Lyon has had a friendly and co-operative relationship with Dubai for a number of years and is pleased to be lending its support to Dubai’s bid. Through the many economic, cultural and academic projects developed by the two cities, representatives from Lyon have been able to visit Dubai many times and have noted its exceptional development and appreciated its ambitious outlook and constant quest for innovation,” says a press statement from the French Embassy in the UAE.

“The possibility of hosting the World Expo 2020 constitutes an important and natural progression for Dubai, which has made its tourism strategy the engine of its economic reconversion by investing heavily in infrastructure,” it added.

“Lyon, France’s second largest city with a key strategic position in the heart of Europe, has strengthened its international profile over the last few years. For Lyon, Dubai represents openness to the world, an international hub and a gateway to the Orient. The importance of the links between Lyon and Dubai even led Emirates Airlines to open a direct flight between the two cities last year,” the statement concluded. —