Six-day leave to explore Expo 2020: Dubai govt staff thrilled

Dubai - Employees say they are looking forward to being part of the greatest show on earth along with their families

Dubai Government employees are celebrating the latest announcement made by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, that allows them to take six days paid leave to attend the Expo 2020 Dubai. The six-day leave can be used at any time during the period of Expo 2020, which runs from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

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Employees from various government departments said they are looking forward to being part of the ‘greatest show on earth’ along with their families and would use this opportunity to enhance their knowledge about the creative perspectives, cultures, developments and innovations that will be displayed by different nations at the expo.

Appreciating the gesture of getting paid leaves to enjoy Expo 2020 Dubai with her family and friends, Maitha Ali, who works at Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said: "There's no doubt this will be one of the biggest events of our lifetime and to see it happening in Dubai is a dream come true for us. We're all excited to see the Expo and for most of us - this is our first time attending a Global Expo. I can't wait for the Expo to begin and have already started planning my visit after seeing the photos and videos all over social media. I am grateful to our Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for announcing additional leave days for us to enjoy Expo 2020. It is a wonderful gift that allows us to learn, explore and connect with people coming from all over the world.”

Lauding the announcement, Elizier Nelson Vijay, who works at the environment department of the Dubai Municipality, said: “This is a great initiative as it will give us an opportunity to learn about new innovations that will be showcased by the countries of the world and will bring in more creative ideas that can be beneficial for the UAE. These inspirations for sure will help us in our work and we can implement new modern techniques to innovate and use our resources correctly.”

Thanking the Dubai Government profusely for the special allowance to employees, Fuad Hamid Al Awaadi, who is also a government employee and works as photographer at Dubai Municipality, said: “This is indeed a great initiative and shows the care and concern of our leadership towards us. It reminded me of the generosity and kindness of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, who always showed deep concern for the community. We are very grateful to the government for this privilege given to us as employees of the Dubai government and I’ll ensure we make the most of it by understanding the global innovations being displayed at the world fair.”