Dubai Expo 2020 Team Visits Milan Ahead Of World Expo 2015

The Expo 2020 Dubai team has visited Milan as the Italian city prepares to host the World Expo next year, it was announced on Sunday.

The Dubai team, consisting of representatives from the Dubai Road and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Municipality and the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, observed and examined how the Milan team has prepared for and will execute the six month event, a statement said.

Expo 2015 Milan, scheduled to run from May 1 to October 31, 2015 will explore how to tackle global food and hunger challenges.

“Given the planning of World Expos is a complex and multifaceted planning operation, the Dubai team was pleased to get an early look at the strategies, priorities, challenges and remedial measures put in place for such a large-scale global event,” the statement said.

Reem Al Hashimy, MD of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and director general of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, said: “The road to a successful Expo in Dubai includes meeting with former Expo cities and planners to ensure we are aware of all of the operational challenges that we may encounter.

“Such a large-scale event will have a substantial impact on our communities and it is imperative that this impact is foreseeable where possible, issues are addressed and outcomes are positive before, during and after the event.”

The UAE will have a country pavilion within Expo 2015 and will also promote the Expo 2020 Dubai theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, and subthemes.

The UAE Consulate General to Milan, Noura Mohammed Juma, who also joined the Dubai Expo team, said: “The Expo 2015 Milan team has put an enormous amount of time and effort into their preparation and it is generous of them to offer a preview of their operations.”

Dubai, which beat rivals Ekaterinburg, Izmir and Sao Paulo to win the Expo hosting rights in November last year, will hold the six-month event from October 2020 to April 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s golden jubilee celebration.

This will be the first time that the World Expo is staged in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.

The event, expected to attract 25 million visitors, is estimated to add $24 billion to the UAE’s economy.