Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed and will be held from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The decision has been declared after the two-thirds majority of the votes was surpassed within a week of voting, opening on 24 April.
With the current COVID-19 situation, a BIE General Assembly was impossible to stage, therefore officials had to vote remotely. A two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted, within a week, in favor of postponing the next World Expo by one year, “as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on April 21”. Nevertheless, the voting will remain open till May 29.
In its official statement, Expo 2020 Dubai declared that “We welcome this final decision, which allows participating countries around the globe to safely navigate the impact of COVID-19. This additional time also allows us to prepare to welcome a more united and resilient world in 2021, where we will collectively celebrate culture, creativity, and innovation”.
Although Expo 2020 will be held in 2021, its name will not change. It will welcome 192 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organizations, and educational establishments from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Moreover, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the BIE, stated that “I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity, and demonstrates the shared will to work together in 'creating the future […] With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions, and ideas for a better tomorrow.”
News Via Expo 2020 Dubai.
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