Abu Dhabi: Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State and Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, said that the expo is expected to provide more job opportunities in services sector for residents and citizens as well.
In an interview conducted by Journalist Fabrice Valserre of French Valeures Actuelles magazine, Al Hashimi said a committee has been set up to study all issues related to hosting of the Expo.
Al Hashimi stressed the importance of organising the Expo in Dubai, expressing her hope that winning of the bid bears huge potential to highlight Dubai’s preparation to deal with expected challenges.
She noted that if Dubai is selected, it would be a first time to host an international expo in the Arab World, the Middle East, North Africa and India, referring to the support Dubai received from the Arab League.
Al Hashimi expressed her pride in Dubai’s cultural diversity, a city which hosts 200 nationalities, adding that they live in harmony, and “This contributes to enriching culture and history of the UAE community”.
Regarding hosting Expo 2020, the minister said, there are plans for new infrastructure to be added to the current one. She added that the allocated budget for development of infrastructure ranges between $2-$4 billion in case Dubai wins the bid.
She added that Dubai is rallying votes of allies and partners to help it win the hosting of International Expo which will be decided in November 2013 in Paris.
The French journalist was invited by the National Media Council (NMC) to assess Dubai’s preparations to win the bid to host the Expo 2020.
