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Expo 2020 Dubai: Participants 'excited' about UAE's readiness to host event

Dubai - Bilateral meetings include briefing with Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Countries taking part in the Dubai Expo 2020 have expressed “excitement” about the UAE’s readiness to host the mega event.

This came as Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, hosted bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Expo 2020 International Participants Meeting (IPM).

He reaffirmed the global mega event as an “unparalleled platform for international cooperation”.

The meetings included a briefing with Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). More talks are slated over the coming days.

The IPM gathered more than 370 delegates from 173 countries to discuss the final preparations for what will be the first event of this scale to take place since the beginning of the pandemic. Delegates were updated on operations and security, as well as the robust Covid-19 measures that have been implemented to safeguard the well-being of the Expo workforce, participants and visitors.

In a welcome speech to IPM delegates, Sheikh Nahyan said, "Expo 2020 Dubai is about all of us coming together to create something better for future generations – to do our part in reshaping and redesigning our future, to bring people from all backgrounds and all corners of the Earth together for unique shared experiences that will help people know one another, talk to one another and to live with one another in peace and prosperity.

"I thank all of you for your dedication to shaping a positive future, and for your commitment to the cause of human progress. Our journeys through Expo 2020 Dubai will be enriched by your ideas and commitment to improve the quality of life for our entire planet," he added.

In meetings with Nadia Fattah Alaoui, the Kingdom of Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy; Charles Fernandez, Antigua and Barbuda's Minister of Tourism and Economic Development; and Gilbert Boustany, Commissioner General for Antigua and Barbuda at Expo 2020; Sheikh Nahyan discussed the long-term legacy of Expo 2020 at a local, regional and international level, and its alignment with the wider strategic vision of the UAE.

Coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, Expo 2020 – the first World Expo to be held in the MEASA region – will welcome the world from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.

As he convened the IPM, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had earlier said: “The world is recovering, and we are ready to welcome 190 countries to the World's Greatest Event.'' The IPM welcomed more than 370 delegates from around the globe, demonstrating that Dubai is open for business and ready to welcome the world, following the success of the UAE's measures to tackle the global health pandemic.”

Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, had said that the UAE is optimistic about welcoming millions of people from around the world.