Expo 2020 preparations on perfect track

The enthusiasm and amazing speed at which Dubai is gearing up for World Expo 2020 makes it abundantly clear that the event will turn out to be extraordinary and offer endless reasons for participants from across the globe to cheer.

Adding to the attraction is the fact that it will be the first to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, MEASA, in the 168-year history of the event.

Expo 2020 Dubai has already invited anyone in the United Arab Emirates, no matter their age or nationality, to be part of ‘The World’s Greatest Show in the Making’ tour – a free sneak preview of the 4.38 sqkm Expo site as it nears completion.

Passing through those gates for the next 173 days will be a procession of artists and academics, dancers and diplomats, pop stars and pioneering thinkers, culinary wizards and cultural icons, tech ninjas and tomorrow’s leaders – plus, 192 participating nations and millions of visitors from around the world.

From July 20 to Aug.31, Expo 2020’s colourful coaches will collect visitors from pickup points across the UAE, including Dubai Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall and other locations in Sharjah and the northern emirates.

Once on board, they will experience a journey through the history of World Expos as they make their way to the Expo site in Dubai South.

They will explore the Expo 2020 Visitor Centre and engage in activities before reboarding the bus for a tour of the site and its most iconic structures.

Dubai is currently building an advanced transport system through several vital projects that will serve the expected 25 million visitors of Expo 2020 Dubai, set to take place under the slogan, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

As per Ahmed Al Khateeb, CEO of Real Estate Development at Expo 2020 Dubai, Expo 2020 Dubai is cooperating with government institutions to provide a unique transportation experience to all visitors.

Plans have been drafted according to the highest international standards, to provide visitors with a leading mass transportation system, which includes the Dubai Metro, buses, taxis, as well as private cars.

According to Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency and Chairman of Readiness Committee for hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, the RTA has drafted a comprehensive plan to host the international event and provide safe and easy transportation to its visitors.

The plan includes the implementation of “Route 2020”, a 15-km extension of the Red Line of Dubai Metro to Expo 2020, to transport 44,000 people in both directions every hour,

Incidentally, the RTA has completed its airport road project to increase the road’s capacity, to handle the expected 95 million passengers travelling through Dubai International Airport in 2020.

Also, the development of nine-km-long Al Yalayis road with a capacity of four tracks in each direction, while work is under way to develop the roads leading to Expo 2020, which cost more than Dhs3 billion.

The benefits for the country will be immense. Expo 2020 Dubai’s long-term investment in the future of the country will boost its economy by Dhs122.6 billion and support 905,200 job-years between 2013 and 2031, an independent report published by global consultancy EY shows.

During the peak six-month period of the World Expo, the event is predicted to add the equivalent of 1.5 per cent to UAE Gross Domestic Product.

Going by all the indications, Expo 2020 will undoubtedly be a celebration of human ingenuity that will run from Oct. 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.