Expo Dubai probably will be postponed as other several series of international events due to the coronavirus. We already see the case of the Tokyo Olympics. The opening of the first universal exhibition in history in an Arab country was set for October 20, 2020, until April 10, 2021. The proposal to postpone the opening date was put forward during a teleconference that took place on March 30.
Related articles: Museum On Pyjamas-Art Basel moved to September
During a meeting with 32 members of the Expo 2020 Steering Committee, the Secretary-General of the BIE - Bureau International des Expositions and the organizers of the exhibition, request foresees to postpone the event by twelve months for understandable reasons, consequently with the ongoing health emergency. To summarize them, in a statement, was Reem Al-Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and General Manager for Expo Dubai 2020, present at the conference call. "Many countries have been significantly affected by COVID-19 and have therefore expressed the need to postpone the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai for a year to be able to overcome the current situation. The UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai listened to them and, at the Steering Committee meeting, supported in a spirit of solidarity the proposal to explore the one-year delay. We hope to welcome the whole world and we are certain that we will emerge from this stronger and more resilient emergency situation than ever ", stressed the Minister.
Under the theme of Connecting minds, creating the future, the exhibition will be the first of this nature hosted in the so-called ME.NA.SA area (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia). The project has been huge in Dubai. Already, construction costs around the events are estimated at $7 billion. It will bring together 192 countries around the world and the estimates set of international visitors expected to be in Dubai it's around 11 million: a number that seems unattainable in light of the current strong travel restrictions.
The postponement could instead result in an opportunity, with a view to relaunching the global economy. For the effective modification of the date, it will be necessary to follow a specific procedure. The first step involves the formal proposal, expressed by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the BIE; in addition, two-thirds of the 160 member countries of the BIE are required to vote in favor of the new dates. The final decision is expected in the month of June and, perhaps also for this reason, the organizers at the end of today's meeting encouraged the participants to conclude the construction works of the Pavilions, respecting the delivery times initially foreseen.