Expo 2020 Dubai to be held from October 1, 2021

Expo 2020 Dubai has been rescheduled, and will now run from October 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022, after a two-third majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted in favour of postponing the event by one year, Dubai Media Office reported.

The postponement of the event will enable participants to weather the impact of Covid-19, and also allow the World Expo to focus on a collective desire to think of identifying solutions to ongoing challenges.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year. We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed.

“We have sought to build over the last 50 years bridges, connections, and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world.

“This affirmation by the international community of Dubai’s offering and its ability to deliver, further strengthens our commitment to matching ambition with achievement to hosting an event that will capture the world’s imagination, when the time is right.”

.@Expo2020Dubai is gearing up to help shape a post-pandemic world. Two-third majority of Bureau International des Expositions (@bieparis) Member States vote in favour of postponing next World Expo by 1 year. It will run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022https://t.co/UC9ZR6A3UN pic.twitter.com/5fOtbpf3Ux

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 4, 2020

The BIE Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on April 21.

While the vote remains open until May 29, the two-thirds threshold was crossed within a week of the voting being opened on April 24.

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: “I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’.”

“In their support for the one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021, when together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us. With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions and ideas for a better tomorrow.”

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and the largest ever event to take place in the Arab world. The event will welcome 192 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.