Final Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee meets ahead of vote in Paris

The Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee held a meeting on Thursday, chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group and Chairman of the Dubai Expo 2020 Higher Committee.

The Higher Committee reviewed preparations for the final 20-minute presentation that will take place during the 154th Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE) General Assembly in Paris on November 27th. This is the last opportunity for candidate cities to make their case to the 168 voting nations of the BIE.

Members of the Higher Committee stressed the importance of continuing the hard work right through the final vote. The bid for World Expo 2020 is highly-contested and the competition is fierce. They acknowledged the outpouring of support that Dubai’s bid has received from every segment of the community in the UAE, and from around the globe which continues to differentiate Dubai Expo 2020.

Following presentations from all candidate cities, the 168 member nations of the BIE will make their final decision as to who should host the World Expo 2020 in a closed room. Rounds of voting will take place and the candidate with the least amount of votes will be eliminated after each round.

The process to reach a final decision on the host nation is expected to take approximately three hours. With just 14 days until the final vote for World Expo 2020, the Higher Committee thanked the people of the UAE for the overwhelming and unprecedented level of national support that left a lasting impression on the BIE delegates during the recently held Theme Symposium.

It is hoped the success of the Theme Symposium, which took place from 22nd – 24th October 2013 and saw more than 250 BIE delegates and country representatives travel to the UAE, has secured further support for Dubai Expo 2020 and the unique opportunities that it would offer.

In attendance were Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Ruler’s Court of Dubai, who serves as Deputy Chairman, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and the Committee's Managing Director, Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre and Major General Khamis Mutar Al Muzainah, Deputy Commander General of Dubai Police.

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