The UAE has launched a major media campaign to boost its bid to host the '2020 World Expo,' in Dubai and thus bring the mega event to the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia region for the first time in its 160-year history.

The UAE had proposed hosting the six-month expo at Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali, a 438-hectare site that has been designed as a specialised, highly connected environment that will serve as a permanent attraction, further contributing to Dubai’s appeal.

Besides the UAE, four others including Ayutthaya (Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo (Brazil) are in the race to host this prestigious event.

The UAE campaign includes launch of new social media initiatives to generate increased community involvement in the giant event.

The bid was submitted last November under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The bid is being led by the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Emirates Group, as its chairman.

The other members are Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State (managing director); Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, director of Dubai Ruler's Court; Ahmed Abdullah Al Shaikh, director general of Dubai Government Media Office and Hilal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre.

As a first step, The UAE on Monday launched an Expo 2020 Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DubaiExpo2020) and is inviting individuals from across the country and the globe to contribute to this dialogue about the UAE bid specifically and World Expos generally.

As part of this conversation, the Expo 2020 Facebook page will be enriched on an ongoing basis with information, images and ideas that bring to life the theme of the UAE bid: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

An official Twitter account (@Dubaiexpo2020) has also been launched to support the online dialogue about World Expos and the UAE bid.

These new initiatives have been introduced to coincide with the start of the 2012 International Expo in Yeosu, South Korea, which kicked off on May 12 and concludes on August 12.

The Emirates is hosting a national pavilion and a range of special events during this three-month International Expo that is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors.

In a major move, the UAE has introduced a Chinese-language Sina Weibo account for the duration of Expo 2012. The launch of the UAE’s dedicated page on this popular microblogging site will encourage interaction among Chinese-language speakers, including the many who are expected to attend the event in Yeosu.

In addition to its presence at Expo 2012 in Yeosu – where the UAE was among the first countries to receive a license to build its own national pavilion – the country has hosted national pavilions at previous expos in Hanover, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal; Seville, Spain; and, most recently, Shanghai, China.

The winner will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 160-member nations of Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, the global organisation responsible for overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.-TradeArabia News Service