Thaindian News

Dubai, Feb 29 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has formally launched a campaign as part of its bid to host the 2020 World Expo, the largest rotating exposition in the world.

Under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, the 2020 World Expo in Dubai will serve as a global hub for ideas and a springboard for creativity, said Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the committee for hosting the expo.

The last world expo was held in Shanghai, where the UAE also took part.

The UAE had officially presented its bid at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) headquarters in Paris in November last year.

The BIE is the inter-governmental organisation in charge of overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection, and organisation of World and International Expos.

Dubai will spend $2-4 billion on infrastructure if it manages to host the 2020 World Expo, officials said.

The World Expo is a global, non-commercial exposition. It is intended to promote exchange of ideas and development of the world economy, culture, science and technology, to allow exhibitors to display their achievements and improve international relationships.

The last expo in Shanghai in 2010 generated $2 billion in revenue for the host city.

Dubai is competing with four other cities that have submitted bids for the event. They include Ayutthaya (Thailand), Ekaterinburg (Russia), Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo (Brazil).

The winner will be announced by the BIE in November 2013 following a vote by its 160 member nations, said Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, BIE secretary general.

The UAE has proposed hosting the expo at “Exhibition City”, a 400-hectare site to be constructed in southwest Dubai. It is adjacent to Dubai World Central, home to Al Maktoum international airport, which will host the 2013 Dubai Airshow.

UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met Gonzalez Loscertales, and said the UAE, since its establishment, has been focusing on building infrastructure of world class standards in areas of health, education, sports, housing, tourism and other facilities of civilisational renaissance.