Secrets of Dubai's expo plans revealed in bid dossier

[Al Bhatti]

The UAE in World Expos

The UAE has a long history with World Expo stretching back four decades to Abu Dhabi’s participation in the 1970 Expo in Osaka, Japan.

Today, the relationship continues, with the UAE currently taking part at Expo 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea. The Expo theme, “The Living Ocean and Coast”, resonates deeply with the UAE, which has a proud seafaring history. The UAE Pavilion in Yeosu reflects the nation’s commitment to the responsible development and protection of its coastline and marine habitat.

Comprising two dune-shaped peaks –the highest reaching 20 metres – the UAE pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai attracted almost two million visitors. Now permanently located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, the Pavilion is a landmark exhibition centre. Praised for its sustainable design, the Foster + Partners-designed pavilion won awards from the Illinois Society of Structural Engineers and the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations.

Zaragoza in Spain welcomed the world for its Expo in 2008, with a theme of Water and Sustainability. The UAE Pavilion was particularly successful, winning the golden award for excellence of design and quality of items and content on display. The award was shared with the pavilions of Germany, Jordan, Japan, Oman and the Philippines.

In 2000, the World Expo took place in Hannover in Germany, with the UAE showcasing its cultural heritage in a pavilion that was designed to resemble Al Jahili fort. A replica of the Al Ain landmark that was built in 1898 by Sheikh Zayed The First, the UAE Pavilion spotlit the commonalities between the Emirates and the theme of Expo 2000, Man, Technology and Nature.

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The Dubai Expo 2020 bid film – Bill Gates

Bill Gates looks back at his experience of the 1962 Expo in Seattle and tells us why he believes that despite the rise of the digital world, physical meeting points still have a place in today’s world.

Multimedia | Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE

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Overview | Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE

 

[Al Bhatti]

June 13, 2013

UAE secures French support for Expo 2020

Hectic diplomatic parleys on in Paris

The UAE has secured crucial support of the French government in its bid to host Expo 2020, a top official confirmed.

“Yes, we have been assured of France’s support for the Expo 2020 bid,” Mohammad Meer Abdullah Al Rafesi, UAE Ambassador to France, told the media at a diplomatic reception, attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

This is the second major breakthrough for the UAE, following the United Kingdom’s support for UAE’s bid announced last month, following the official visit by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in April.

“We are talking to all the members of the BIE residing here. However, other competing cities are also doing the same and it will be difficult to say anything ahead of the crucial votes in November. However, we are optimistic and with the wonderful presentation, we are more confident now,” he said.

The UAE Embassy in Paris is currently full of activities relating to the UAE’s Expo 2020 bid. The embassy has a key role to play in garnering diplomatic support for the bid, as most members of the Bureau International Des Expositions (BIE) are located in Paris.

UAE secures French support for Expo 2020 | GulfNews.com

 

[Al Bhatti]

August 27, 2013

Dubai is front-runner to win World Expo 2020 bid

Political and social tensions in fellow contenders Russia, Turkey and Brazil could hurt their chances

Few visitors to Disneyland have a world exposition on their minds as they embark on the 15-minute ‘It’s a Small World’ boat ride. But it was for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, as the expo was known, that Walt Disney designed the ride.

The Eiffel Tower and the Atomium in Brussels are other legacies of the world expos that have showcased technology, architecture and culture every five years since London’s inaugural Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in 1851.

Today, though, hosting an expo means much more than buildings. Bidders count on an economic boost and a higher international profile as benefits from staging the six-month event. “An expo marks a certain ‘coming of age’ for a city,” Urso Chappell, an expo historian, said. “It can aid a city’s physical redevelopment as well as the nation’s image abroad.”

Jobs are created as large construction projects get under way, and international and local tourism increases, a boon to restaurants, hotels, car rental agencies and other businesses. Dubai, for instance, which is in the running to host the 2020 Expo, expects more than 25 million visitors and 270,000 new jobs if it wins.

At the same time, expo organisers have to balance cost and legacy.

Expenses go overboard

The Shanghai World Expo 2010, for example, cost the equivalent of $4.2 billion (Dh15.4 billion), according to government figures. But the Chinese news media have reported that the actual cost of staging the event was more than $50 billion — exceeding what was spent on the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The Shanghai Expo has also left a number of buildings that proved useless after the event and were abandoned. Some, like Germany’s pavilion, were razed.

The hosts of the next world expo, which will be in Milan in 2015, hope to avoid the same fate by “organising a totally sustainable event and building the country pavilions with eco-friendly materials which, if necessary, can be easily dismantled at the end of the six-month event,” said Giuseppe Sala, chief executive of Expo 2015, which is developing the event.

One of the few things that will remain after the Milan Expo will be a large park. The organisers say plans call for 56 per cent of the site to remain “green” after the event. At $1.7 billion, the projected investment by Milan, the expo would also be much smaller than Shanghai’s.

With a reasonable budget and a sound legacy plan, a world’s fair can become a transformative opportunity for a city, and even for a country, expo officials say.

Catalyst for development

“For the hosts, expos are a key part of a strategic plan for urban development and act as catalysts for accelerating infrastructural transformations,” said Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, secretary general of the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris, which chooses the host cities and supervises the events. “At the same time, the expo has more intangible but equally powerful impacts on the branding of the city and of the country, and on their international image.”

It is exactly that “unique PR opportunity,” as Gonzalez Loscertales calls the expo, that the 2020 bidders — in addition to Dubai, Izmir, Turkey; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Yekaterinburg, Russia, are seeking the event — hope to exploit.

Dubai, which would be the first host of a world’s fair in the Middle East, has emerged as the front-runner, offering the most financial and governmental support. Political tensions in Russia, most recently over what is viewed as an anti-gay law, and in Turkey could hurt the chances of Yekaterinburg and Izmir. Sao Paulo, the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, is seen as least likely to succeed when the 100 or so delegates of the exposition bureau’s General Assembly vote in November, people with knowledge of the bidding process said.

The fact that all of the 2020 bidders come from emerging markets is indicative of the changing landscape of international relations. More nations are using such global events to elbow their way onto the world stage.

“Shanghai 2010 is a perfect example of an expo held to show that a country is an important international player,” Chappell said. It sent a “statement to both other countries and its own citizens that China had arrived on the global stage.”

Heavy participation

Held on the heels of Beijing’s grandiose 2008 Summer Olympics, the expo was the most heavily attended in history, with a record 246 participating countries and organisations and 73 million visitors.

Tjaco Walvis, a branding specialist who researched the impact of previous expos, said an expo “helps to put the organising city on the mental world map.”

Sometimes, though, the mark it leaves can become a stain. The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans, which had low attendance and financing problems, was forced to declare bankruptcy during its run. It managed to stay open until its closing day only because the US government provided financial support.

And while expo officials count urban development as a major benefit of hosting, it comes at a cost. In the preparations for the Shanghai World Expo, Chinese authorities demolished thousands of homes and displaced 18,000 families, according to Amnesty International, a human rights group.

Still, if an expo proves a success, the organisers can count on media coverage and international tourism to enhance the host’s image at home and abroad. And countries that participate may benefit as well.

The Dutch pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany, generated about €350 million (Dh1.7 billion) in indirect long-term economic benefits for the Netherlands, more than 10 times the nation’s investment, according to research by Walvis, the brand specialist.

That is why international cities find the prospect of hosting or participating in an expo appealing. But for visitors, too, an expo can be exciting — like an ‘It’s a Small World’ ride come to life.

“World expositions play to the fascination of the unknown and the charm of other cultures and countries,” Walvis said. “They allow people to travel around the world in just a day.”

Dubai is front-runner to win World Expo 2020 bid | GulfNews.com

 

[Al Bhatti]

Sep 1, 2013

A computer generated image of the proposed Dubai Expo 2020 site.



Expo chiefs give Dubai thumbs-up for 2020

Inspectors who assessed Dubai's bid to stage Expo 2020 were impressed by the theme, the level of public support and the plans for financing the project.

A six-strong team from the Bureau International des Expositions, which oversees world expos, spent five days in Dubai gathering information about the bid and holding high-level talks.

Inquiry missions took place in all the candidate cities to determine whether their plans were viable and in line with the bureau's regulations. The winner will be chosen by delegates from its 167 member countries in Paris in November.

The inspectors prepared reports on each city which were distributed to the delegates. The inquiry missions and reports are key elements in the selection process.

The reports have not been made public, but The National has learnt that the inquiry mission team concluded that a Dubai expo had the potential to leave a valuable legacy for the global community.

This would benefit not only the UAE and participating countries but civil society generally, as well as future expos.

The inspectors said the Dubai expo theme - Connecting Minds, Creating the Future - was of critical importance as it reflected the need for global discussions about key priorities.

The theme and the general aims of the exhibition were said to be well defined, precise and in line with the expectations and preoccupations of contemporary society.

Students, academics and others who the inquiry team met expressed full support for a Dubai expo and were eager to contribute to the project.

The project had full government backing and there was great enthusiasm for it among the citizens of Dubai.

The inspectors described the master plan for the expo site in Jebel Ali as well conceived and attractive, and said the financial plans were viable. Projected revenues and expenses were in line with those of previous expos and were credible.

The team told the delegates that although Dubai planned to build more hotels by 2020 the accommodation already available in the city would exceed the needs of expo participants and visitors.

Dubai is one of four candidate cities still in the running to host Expo 2020. The others are Ekaterinburg in Russia, Izmir in Turkey and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The inspectors who visited Izmir praised elements of the bid but said a further study should be carried out on the planned on-site transport system to ensure the safety of visitors.

The team that went to Sao Paolo identified the city's transport infrastructure as one of the project's most challenging elements, but noted the authorities' commitment to solving this issue. The report on Ekaterinburg was largely positive.

A fifth city, Ayutthaya in Thailand, was dropped from the selection process in June after the inspectors found that it had not met the bureau's requirements. Failure to secure government support led to its exclusion.

The UAE has been conducting a global lobbying exercise to gather backing for its bid, which will intensify this month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In May the UK became the first country to announce officially that it was supporting the Dubai bid. The British foreign secretary William Hague said: "We assess that the Dubai bid is exceptionally strong: focused on global connectivity and accessibility, underpinned by its geographical location and its position as a global logistics and transport hub.

"All these would allow exhibitors to reach a large and varied international audience.

"We are also convinced that holding Expo 2020 at a time of great change in the region would send a positive signal to the world that this is a region of dynamism, innovation and vast human potential."

France was also expected to issue an official all-out declaration of support, but instead the president, Francois Hollande, simply "praised the advantages" of Dubai's application.

The next key stage for the UAE bid will take place in October with a visit by some of the delegates who will select the winner.

They will attend a symposium at which they will learn more about the Dubai expo theme and sub-themes - mobility, sustainability and opportunity.

On November 27,the delegates will cast their votes and Dubai and the other cities will learn which of them has triumphed.

Expo chiefs give Dubai thumbs-up for 2020 - The National

 

[Al Bhatti]

September 4, 2013

UAE ranks higher than other countries bidding for Expo 2020

According to 2013-2014 report, the UAE ranked 19th, ahead of Turkey (44), Brazil (56) and Russia (64)

The UAE ranks highest on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) out of the countries with cities bidding for the World Expo 2020.

Released on Tuesday, The Global Competitiveness Report is an annual release assessing the competitiveness landscape of 148 economies.

According to the 2013-2014 report, the UAE ranked 19th [in productivity] - cracking the top 20 for the first time after finishing 24th last year - ahead of Turkey (44), Brazil (56), and Russia (64).

Izmir in Turkey, São Paulo in Brazil, Yekaterinburg in Russia, and Dubai are all bidding for the event.

The UAE has overtaken Saudi Arabia (20) in the ranking to take second place in the region after Qatar (13).

The report stated that the UAE’s “competitiveness reflects the high quality of its infrastructure, where it ranks a solid 5th, as well as its highly efficient goods markets [4th]. Strong macroeconomic stability [7th] and some positive aspects of the country’s institutions — such as strong public trust in politicians [3rd] and high government efficiency [9th] — round up the list of competitive advantages.”

The report stated the UAE would need further investment to boost health and education.

On Turkey which fell from last year’s place [43] but remain higher than two years ago [59] the report stated “in terms of social sustainability, the country’s relatively high youth unemployment, its large informal sector, and its limited social protection continue to represent its main challenges.”

Brazil also dropped from last year’s place [48] and the report stated “a slight deterioration in some of the macroeconomic indicators [75th], a tightening of access to financing, and the lack of sufficient progress in some of the most pressing challenges the country faces has driven this drop.”

“Notwithstanding these challenges, the country still benefits from important strengths, especially its large market size and its fairly sophisticated business community [39th],” as per the report.

On Russia, which ranked lowest out of the countries with cities bidding for Expo 2020 the report stated in terms of social sustainability, the Russian Federation is characterised by a relatively weak social safety net, high and increasing inequality, and limited social mobility. In terms of environmental sustainability, its lax environmental regulations, resource depletion, and the slowly degrading quality of its natural environment emerge as the most important challenges.”

Qatar, the highest ranking country from the Middle East, dropped two places to 13th. Its population of 1.9 million has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $183.4 billion and a per capita GDP of $99,731.

The report stated “Qatar’s strong performance in terms of competitiveness rests on solid foundations made up of a high-quality institutional framework [4th], a stable macroeconomic environment [6th], and an efficient goods market [3rd].”

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, came in behind the UAE at number 20. Its larger population (28.1 million) has a higher GDP of $727.3 billion but lower GDP per capita with $25,085.

“As much as the recent developments are commendable, [Saudi Arabia] faces important challenges going forward. Health and education do not meet the standards of other countries at similar income levels. Although some progress is visible in health and primary education,” the report stated.

Saudi Arabia went backwards on the ranking after placing 18th on the previous GCI.

Saudi Arabia “has seen a number of improvements to its competitiveness in recent years that have resulted in more efficient markets and sophisticated businesses,” the report said.

While Egypt dropped from 107 last year to 118 in the latest report, Syria was “not included in this year’s edition owing to the inability to conduct a survey”, the report stated.

The lowest ranked country, meanwhile, was Guinea in West Africa.

Europe dominates

Similar to previous years the top 10 was once again dominated by European countries. Switzerland retained its position as the most competitive country on the index for the fifth consecutive year. This was followed by Finland (3), Germany (4), Sweden (6), Netherlands (8), and the United Kingdom (10), all finishing in the top 10.

The US (5) returned to the top 5 after finishing 7th last year.

UAE ranks higher than other countries bidding for Expo 2020 | GulfNews.com

 

[-SINAN-]

Go Izmir/Turkey, i didn't know about this expo. Seems like we are competing in every field. (Expo, Olympics, etc..)

 

[Al Bhatti]

Go Izmir/Turkey, i didn't know about this expo. Seems like we are competing in every field. (Expo, Olympics, etc..)

On PDF you get all kinds of information under one roof

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Go Izmir/Turkey, i didn't know about this expo. Seems like we are competing in every field. (Expo, Olympics, etc..)

Both of you guys are cool

 

[T-123456]

Dubai should get it and we should get the Olympic games 2020.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Dubai should get it and we should get the Olympic games 2020.

No, Turkey will host the World Cup not the Olympics

 

[T-123456]

No, Turkey will host the World Cup not the Olympics

Lets get the olympics first,and dont drink to much coffee try tea(healthier).

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Lets get the olympics first,and dont drink to much coffee try tea(healthier).

Sorry bro, I only do DD ...

 

[AUz]

What is the importance of this expo thingy? Can anybody explain?

I wish Dubai gets 2020 Expo...

Hope Saudis complete their Kingdom tower by 2021...

Qatar already has 2022 World cup..

and I hope Turkey completes all its goals for 2023...

===

What wonderful times that would be for the Middle-Eastern powers....

 

[-SINAN-]

Dubai should get it and we should get the Olympic games 2020.

Olympic's is going to be great.

 

[T-123456]

Olympic's is going to be great.

If we get it,Madrid is strong.