United Arab Emirates to arrange the best EXPO exhibition over its history

Dubai authorities have stated that if the jury decides in their favor, the EXPO-2020 exhibition will run in the Middle East for the first time and will be able to attract more than twenty-five million visitors.

Welcoming the BIE delegation in the Emirates Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation, Emirates Airline CEO, who had been appointed the chairman of the organizing committee for applying Dubai for EXPO, said that the Emirates are pleased to welcome the mission of the International Exhibitions Bureau. "And now the members of the delegation will be able to personally see to feel the "excitement, spirit and support» of our multinational population to host EXPO», said Ahmed Al Maktoum.

"With great pride we are looking forward to the fact that the IEB mission will become convinced of our capacity not only to arrange the show in Dubai, but also make it the best one over hundred and fifty-year history of existence", said Ahmed Al Maktoum.

The IEB delegation with the headquarters in Paris is headed by the chairman of the executive committee Steen Christiansen. As the basic guide for the analysis of the Dubai application the mission team will use the so-called "profile" of the UAE entitled Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.

It is in the planning stage of the Bureau officials to make assessment of financial costs of a candidate, exhibition promotion all over the world, expected number of visitors and useful life time of the proposed exhibition pavilions. During their stay these foreign visitors are also going to meet with the leadership of the UAE and the business community of the state.

Following the visit to the Emirates the IEB delegation should draft the final report containing evaluation of the application, which on par with the other four applications (Ekaterinburg, Izmir, Ayutthaya and Sao Paulo) will be submitted to the General Assembly of the Bureau in Paris in June 2013.

Meanwhile, throughout the duration of the mission, the most prestigious hotel in Dubai named Burj Al Arab from 20:20 in the evening will be highlighted by Dubai EXPO-2020 huge logo. The same day, February 23, more than three thousand students of Dubai organized a march to express their support for the application of their hometown.