Expo 2020 Dubai will host its first International Planning Meeting (IPM), organised with the involvement of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the governing body for World Expos.

The two-day meeting, opening tomorrow (May 23), will bring together representatives of nations from around the world.

At this meeting, Expo 2020 Dubai will host government and diplomatic officials to highlight the benefits of participating in the World Expo, becoming part of a collaborative global platform that inspires the next generation and sparks innovations that underpin the next 50 years of human progress.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General Bureau Expo Dubai 2020, said: “This International Planning Meeting is the first major event in an ongoing programme of international engagement. We are collaborating with potential participants by sharing our vision and involving them in the plans that are being delivered, in order to ensure that Expo 2020 Dubai stands out not only for its exceptional visitor experience and seamless operations, but also for its lasting legacy that benefits all.”

“The Expo experience starts now for our international participants. There are many opportunities for us to engage and work together to create value, both during the journey to Expo and at the event itself. We want countries to join us early in the process to maximize those opportunities,” she added.

The IPM agenda comprises one day of high-level presentations and panel discussions, followed by hands-on workshops to immerse potential participants in the details of the Expo 2020 Dubai master plan, theme and visitor journey, as well as highlighting business opportunities in the UAE for innovation, trade and investment, and knowledge transfer.

Expo 2020 Dubai aims to host more than 180 countries. For the first time in the history of World Expos, each country will have an individual pavilion, enhancing the ability of nations to showcase themselves. Participant countries will be able to directly engage with 25 million visitors at the mega-event, generate a wide range of business opportunities and access regional markets through the collaborative platform that Expo offers, as well as contribute to the lasting global legacy of the first mega-event in the MEASA region.

The IPM is the latest in a series of major advances by Expo 2020 Dubai in recent months. Earlier in May, Expo unveiled its master plan at the Arab Media Forum. In March, Expo 2020 Dubai revealed its new logo with a spectacular event at the foot of the Burj Khalifa. Ahead of the start of infrastructure works in July, the Expo site has seen over 4 million cubic metres of earth moved as the site has been levelled in preparation for construction.

Potential international participants have already shown interest in Expo 2020 Dubai. In April, Switzerland became the first country to announce its intention to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai citing the economic and political significance of the host country and the geopolitical weight of the Gulf region as one of the reasons behind its participation. – TradeArabia News Service