Expo 2020: Sheikh Mohammed tours main operations centre ahead of opening this week

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the operations centre of the Expo 2020 venue in Dubai on Sunday, ahead of its official opening on Friday, October 1.

He reviewed the processes followed by the main operations centre, which is the base for 134 units of government and private entities in charge of operations, safety and security of the mega event.

Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on the coordination mechanism used by the teams based at the operations centre.

خلال زيارة غرفة عمليات إكسبو استعداداً لانطلاق الحدث الكبير .. ١٣٤ فريقا من ٩٥ جنسية يعملون كفريق عالمي واحد لإطلاق حدث عالمي رائد في دولة جمعت العالم في وقت ومكان واحد.. الحدث الأجمل سيكون علامة فارقة في تاريخ إكسبو بإذن الله .. pic.twitter.com/5OQnBoeZKK

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) September 26, 2021

He also reviewed the preparations taken by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for the event. The DHA has set up a five-lane drive-through PCR testing facility and a PCR screening centre with a capacity of 10,000 tests per day, which will provide results within four hours. Meanwhile DHA’s Emergency Centre will offer comprehensive healthcare services to Expo 2020 visitors, including PCR tests.

Earlier this month, the organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai announced that visitors must present either proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result to access the venue.

It also confirmed that on presentation of any valid Expo 2020 ticket, the PCR test will be free of charge.

Read: Expo 2020 Dubai: Visitors to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative PCR test

During his tour on Sunday, Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed Dubai Police’s preparations for the event and the latest smart technologies being used to ensure security at the venue including Dubai Police’s ASRI, an AI based system that enables the organisation to respond to any emergency within a minute.

He was also briefed about the plans of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to provide public transport facilities to facilitate the smooth movement of people during the event. The Dubai Metro Route 2020 is set to serve up to half a million users per day, while the RTA has deployed 126 buses from nine stations to serve Expo visitors free of charge, in addition to shuttle buses from hotels to the Expo venue and buses from other emirates.

Read: Expo 2020: Dubai’s RTA completes 15 infrastructure and road projects valued at Dhs15bn

During his visit to the main operations centre, Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed the preparations of Dubai’s General Directorate of Civil Defense.

“We promised to organise the most exceptional Expo in the history of the event. Our nation’s talented citizens were able to convert this vision into a comprehensive plan for success,” he said.

Being held for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, Expo 2020 Dubai, billed as the greatest show in the world, is set to welcome delegations representing 192 nations.