Expo 2020 Dubai to welcome the world in 2021

Expo 2020 Dubai is getting ready to welcome the world in 2021, as two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted in favour of postponing the next World Expo by one year. Expo 2020 will welcome 192 countries, in addition to businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments in 2021.

The global mega event will now run from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, a delay that allows all participants to safely navigate the impact of COVID-19, and allows the World Expo to focus on a collective desire for new thinking to identify solutions to some of the greatest challenges.

“We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay Expo 2020 Dubai by one year. We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group and chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee.

“Over the last 50 years, we have sought to build bridges, connections and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world,” he added. “This affirmation by the international community of Dubai’s offering and its ability to deliver, further strengthens our commitment to matching ambition with achievement to hosting an event that will capture the world’s imagination, when the time is right.”

With a BIE General Assembly impossible to stage due to COVID-19 restrictions, Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on April 21. While the vote remains open until May 29, the two-thirds threshold was surpassed within a week of voting opening on April 24.

“I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on May 29 – is a renewed sign of solidarity, and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’,” stated Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, secretary general, BIE. “In their support for the one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021, when together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us. With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions and ideas for a better tomorrow.”

Expo 2020 Dubai retains its name and remains committed to hosting an exceptional event that will celebrate humanity’s resilience, creativity, culture and innovation – including major technological advances in the fields of medicine and science.

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