Dubai: The City Readiness Committee for hosting Expo 2020 Dubai has held its third meeting at Expo 2020 Dubai headquarters to discuss preparations for the largest-ever event to be held in the region.
Expo 2020 expects to welcome 25 million visits, with around 70 per cent of visitors projected to come from outside the UAE — the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.
In the committee’s two-hour meeting, key government departments updated the committee on their latest plans to welcome millions of visitors to the Expo, with transport integration, landscaping and immigration high on the agenda.
Working on a plan of action that includes immigration, transport, logistics, marketing and tourism, the committee aims to ensure smooth and integrated preparations for the upcoming World Expo, which will be the first to be held in the region.
The City Readiness Committee, which held its launch meeting in March, was formed by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Higher Committee for Expo 2020 Dubai, to oversee the coordination of dozens of local and federal entities and ensure that Dubai and the UAE are ready for the six-month event.
The latest meeting was chaired by Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaibani, director-general of the Ruler’s Court of Dubai, and attended by a number of committee members, including Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and the director-general of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.
Also in attendance were Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai; Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, as well as several working groups from the RTA, Dubai Municipality, DRFA, and Dubai Airports.
Al Shaibani said: “We were updated in detail of the plans, already under implementation, from several Dubai institutions, and we sensed the spirit of one team aiming to deliver an exceptional Expo and achieving its goals.”
