Paris, 12th June 2012 (WAM) -- ''Hosting EXPO 2020 in Dubai is a priority for our people and for our country, and would be a natural progression for us, consistent with our countrys vision for the future,'' Reem al-Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World EXPO, said here today.

''If hosted in Dubai, World EXPO 2020 would be the first EXPO in the Middle East, Africa and the Subcontinent, giving the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE)) and EXPO 2020 participants unprecedented access to a uniquely global World EXPO.

The UAE wants to bring EXPO to the world and the world to Dubais EXPO 2020.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as the world today reassesses its economic, social and environmental paradigm, we are confronted with unprecedented challenges,''al-Hashimytold the General Assembly of the 160 member nations BIE, the international body responsible for overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos, while presenting the UAE bid to host the 2020 World EXPO in Dubaiat the OECD Head Offices.

Acting upon directives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, a senior delegation led HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Hosting the World Expo 2020, launched here today the UAE campaign to host the Expo 2020 under the theme "Connecting Minds... Building the Future".

The delegation is in the French capital to attend meetings of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE)) and meet delegates to sell the UAE's strengths as the best destination to host the international high profile event in Dubai . The Committee has put together a dossier to include details on why the UAE is best suited to host the event.

''In this era of intense globalization, when our fates are invariably intertwined, it is only through a vision of connectivity based on shared purpose and commitment that progress can be made.

''EXPOs connect minds and create new possibilities for the future, and the entire UAE is excited and united behind this bid. In fact, we have chosen the World EXPO as our first national bid for a mega-event. Hosting EXPO 2020 is a priority for our people and for our country, and would be a natural progression for us, consistent with our countrys vision for the future,'' she said.

''Our theme, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future seeks to shape solutions through sustainable partnerships. Many of the problems we face today will become even more urgent by 2020. But with connected thinking, challenges can become opportunities for the betterment of humankind. Our EXPO will be a proactive response to addressing some of these issues, three of which are fundamentally relevant not only to the world but also to the UAE,'' she added.

EXPOs, she added, are the perfect platform through which connections can take place, between cultures, between generations, and between disciplines. Dubai plans to harness this power, transforming simple connections into smart, strong, sustainable partnerships that pave the path of progress. ''We believe that World EXPOs add meaning and value to society. In fact, host cities are never the same after such a momentous 6-month endeavor takes place.

''The UAEs formative values of openness to the world and the pursuit of excellence have resulted in an easily accessible and highly connected country that is inclusive and welcoming.

''The UAEs success, however, was built on a steadfast determination to create a constructive, sustainable and safe model of development for the Middle East and beyond, providing opportunities for people to work hard, chase their dreams and live in dignity. Leading the Arab world in growth and human development indicators, we incubate talent and generate ideas, '' the minister said in her in-depth insights into the UAE's bid to host the 2020 World.

The UAE minister indicated :''The UAE is the 21st century Land of Opportunity for millions of hard-working mobile, global citizens. Built on our foundational values of welcoming inhabitants from across the globe, people from over 200 different nationalities live, work, learn, grow, love, worship and blend harmoniously in my country. It is where cultures blur, ideas thrive and hope is inspired.

The UAE, she noted, stands out, exemplifying excellence, national unity, safety, security, stability, meritocracy serving as a catalyst for change, a beacon of harmony and a state of hope. It is one of the safest countries on earth. We are proud of our social fabric that includes people from all over the world as far away as the Pacific Island of Palau to Panama, from St. Lucia to Sierra Leone.

After the presentation, the UAE played a short but simple film featuring a story of an Emirati boy called Ali, and through his eyes, the story of UAE.

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Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.