Expo 2020: Employees can take any number of days off to visit fair, says Dubai firm

Danube Group is among the latest large groups based out of the UAE to award paid leave to thousands of employees to visit and explore Expo 2020 Dubai.

Anis Sajan, vice-chairman of Danube Group, told Khaleej Times in an interview that employees can take leave anytime during the six-month-long event.

“We have given employees the option to choose how many days they need to explore Expo 2020 Dubai. They can take one, two, three or more days of paid leave but they have to apply for the leave in advance to ensure smooth work operations at the company,” said Sajan.

The six-month-long mega event began on October 1, 2021, and will end on March 31, 2022, attracting millions of visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that the number of visitors to Expo 2020 is expected to surpass the one million mark in the coming days.

Sajan said: “Expo 2020 is a great event taking place in Dubai which will take the emirate to next level of growth. We have a strong faith in the vision of the rulers. Expo 2020 is taking place despite what has happened globally in the past two years due to the pandemic.

"I have visited Expo 2020 twice and was amazed to see the marvellous structures over there. That is the reason the whole world is flocking to Dubai and hotels are running at full capacity."

Sajan gave away free tickets to 100 blue-collar workers of the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match held in Dubai on Sunday, October 24.

He also announced that another 100 for the Afghanistan-Pakistan match and 100 more for India versus the qualifying team for the semifinals and finals will be given away to Danube Group’s workers. To facilitate workers for the India-Pakistan match, Danube Group had closed the office early at 2pm on Sunday.

He noted that Expo 2020 always boosted the economies of the host countries and Dubai is no exception. “We are confident that the emirate will also greatly benefit from the event.”

In addition, Bayt.com is also granting this special leave to enable its employees to explore the immersive cultural experiences, innovations, and solutions on display at the global event, which is being held under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future".

Last week, Hotpack Global, a manufacturer of disposable food packaging products, also announced three-day paid leave for its 2,000 employees in the UAE to visit the Expo and explore immersive experiences of different global cultures at the mega event.