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Expo 2020 Dubai to provide unprecedented opportunity for businesses to grow

Dubai - Region to feel benefits of long after last day of mega-event

Expo 2020 Dubai will play a key role in highlighting how collective action is a key factor in overcoming challenges, experts have said.

The event, which is one of first global events to be held after the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when economies around the world staggered under the weight of the challenges posed by the lockdowns, can be used as a platform to convey the need for a collective response to essential global challenges. The event also represents an unprecedented opportunity for businesses of all sizes, international organisations, and government entities from across the world, to come together to foster a more diversified and resilient global economy, inspire a vibrant business environment and drive sustainable growth.

Shukri Eid, managing director for the Gulf Region at Cisco, says that the benefits of Expo 2020 will be felt long after the last day of the event. “What’s fascinating is the sheer scale of Expo 2020. We are talking about vast investments in infrastructure. District 2020 - as the site will be known after Expo 2020 - will retain more than 80 per cent of the infrastructure built as it transitions into a human-centric mixed-use and fully integrated community for businesses, residents and tourists alike.”

As a ‘city of firsts’, District 2020 will become a global hub for innovation that brings together an inclusive and diverse community of stakeholders to accelerate the future of industries and technologies, he noted. “Ultimately, the site was designed to create a more resilient, smarter and sustainable urban environment that lives on after the six-month event. Job creation is another aspect of Expo 2020 legacy, not only for the sake of the event itself, but also to benefit Dubai, the UAE and the wider region for years to come.”

“At Cisco, we are proud to be playing a role in enabling one of the most technologically advanced expos in the event’s history. We were fortunate to be appointed as the Official Digital Network Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai back in 2018. Since then, we have truly moved full speed ahead to build on the promise of making Expo 2020 Dubai a highly immersive, informative and once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he added.

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Similarly, Alex Lecanuet, regional manager of Accenture Middle East, said that Expo 2020 Dubai, as one of the first global events to be held in the Covid-19 era, creates an exceptional opportunity for people around the world to experience the latest in virtual reality, and connect and collaborate at the hybrid mega-event.

“I would tell them to come – as simple as that,” he urged the global community. “Come because you have the opportunity to experience the largest post-pandemic hybrid event, combining physical and digital experiences. Come because you will see the world in one incredible destination. This is the first Expo with so many countries represented physically and digitally. Dubai is now the melting pot of the world – this is a unique opportunity to experience the post-pandemic world.”

“As the first World Expo be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, Expo 2020 is an ideal platform to see the latest innovations and solutions addressing global challenges in the Covid-19 era, while it also offers a glimpse into what business will look like in a post-pandemic world,” said Hassan Al Hashemi, vice president of International Relations at Dubai Chamber.

“As the official business partner to Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai Chamber will play a pivotal role in creating new connections and fostering cross-border collaboration. The Chamber will provide an ideal platform for UAE companies and their international counterparts to network at its dedicated on-site facility at Expo 2020. In addition, it will host and support several high-profile events during the mega event, which aim to expand Dubai’s economic cooperation with promising markets around the world,” Al Hashemi added.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com