Dubai: Reem Al Hashemi, the UAE Minister of State, and Managing Director for the Dubai World Expo 2020 Bid Committee, has discussed the progress of the upcoming Expo 2020 with Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, the company announced on Thursday.

The meeting took place at the Al Habtoor Group head office.

Al Hashemi briefed Al Habtoor on the progress made for the Dubai Expo 2020, whilst they discussed plans for the land that will be used for the World Expo following the event. The Expo site, which covers 438 hectares, is located within the Dubai South District, near Al Maktoum International Airport.

The minister said it was important for the government to ensure that the development is sustainable after the six-month-long exhibition, which will revolve around trade and innovation.

Al Hashemi is meeting with prominent people in the UAE to discuss plans for the site post-event. The government has invested billions of dirhams ahead of the 2020 World Expo, which is expected to draw in between 25-30 million visitors between October 2020 and April 2021, according to official statistics.

Al Habtoor said he was confident of Dubai’s success in hosting the event.