Abu Dhabi: While sharing joy and pride over the UAE’s win to bid the Expo 2020, senior Emirati officials told Gulf News that this will bring many opportunities to the UAE.
Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and CEO of Masdar, said the World Expo 2020 will provide an opportunity to showcase the UAE’s efforts in advancing the energy sector through innovation and achieving sustainable development — a subtheme of Dubai Expo 2020. Masdar has been a great supporter of the UAE’s bid , he said.
“We are pleased to have won the bid to host World Expo 2020, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time. Our visionary leadership’s unwavering dedication to secure World Expo 2020, as well as our people’s unity and enthusiasm, together led to this success,” Al Jaber said.
The strategy and vision of the UAE are closely aligned with the objectives of the World Expo, which embraces knowledge sharing, strengthening collaboration and enhancing trade relations, he said.
Dr Ali Mohammad Al Khouri, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, said this success comes as a result of “UAE Vision 2021” which is the key success factor for this event.
“UAE’s wise leadership and its ambitious people have set up their dream to celebrate the 50th UAE National Day (by 2021) having achieved the pioneering ‘No. 1’ position in the global race of excellence.
“Hence, it was not difficult for such a leadership to ‘excel’ in hosting this international exhibition and to guarantee a unique success for this event on this land.
“With a simple assessment of the UAE’s achievements during 2013, there will be no need to explain and list the numerous reasons as to why our country has won this bid.”
Detailing the UAE’s recent achievements that helped win the bid, Al Khoury said, the UAE obtained the first rank in government efficiency and made a quantum leap in competitiveness ranking eighth globally in addition to coming fourth worldwide in economic performance, according to the world’s most significant report on countries’ competitiveness.
Ebrahim Al Abid, Director General of the National Media Council, said the UAE’s success is the achievement of the Emirati team who professionally put forwarded the bid very efficiently.
This success proves the international acceptance of the UAE because this was decided by voting.
So many countries have voted for the UAE means they were convinced about the capability of this nation,
Saleh Al Abdouli, CEO of Etisalat UAE, said : “The emphatic success over other contenders of the bid also asserts our country’s competency in leading development in the region with its world-class infrastructure, highly efficient logistic services, as well as modern legislative and regulatory frameworks.”
He said the achievement is a direct outcome of the visionary leadership of the UAE. “With all eyes now on Dubai as it gears up to host the first Expo 2020 in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, we look forward to the continued progress of the UAE and pledge all support to the national development of the country and its people,” Abdouli said.
