The Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has unanimously agreed to propose the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai to 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022.

As changing the dates of an Expo requires the support of a two-thirds majority of Member States of the BIE (Article 28 of the Paris Convention of 1928), the General Assembly will now be called upon to vote on the Executive Committee’s recommendation.

Voting will be carried out remotely between Friday 24 April and Friday 29 May, BIE said on Tuesday.

Members of the Committee – delegates of 12 Member States elected by the BIE’s General Assembly - met virtually to examine the change in dates requested by the UAE. This request was made after a meeting of the Expo 2020 Dubai Steering Committee on 30 March, in which participating countries expressed their need to postpone the Expo’s opening in order to overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, the Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), stated: "World Expos are collective endeavours that express the shared international goal of progress for all humankind. I am confident that when the time is right, Expo 2020 Dubai will constitute the best platform to build, with renewed optimism and hope, a better and brighter future for all."

Alain Berger, delegate of France and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the BIE said: “The UAE’s willingness to listen to participating countries and its pragmatism to take the necessary steps towards postponement demonstrate yet again its strong commitment to hosting a truly inclusive and inspirational World Expo. The Executive Committee of the BIE fully supports the UAE's request for postponement and recommends that countries around the world reach the same consensus.”

Expo 2020 Dubai was set to open on October 20 this year and run for 173 consecutive days and attract more than 200 international participants, including 192 countries, as well as 25 million visitors.

Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and director-general of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “We welcome today’s recommendation of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Executive Committee to support a request by the UAE Government and Expo 2020’s Steering Committee to postpone Expo 2020 for a year.

“Now the official process for agreeing a delay begins, and we look forward to working constructively with BIE member states, our friends, and partners to confirm the new date of October 1, 2021 when the Expo will open its doors, and the UAE will welcome the world.”

(Writing by Seban Scaria, editing by Daniel Luiz)

seban.scaria@refinitiv.com

#Expo 2020 #Dubai #UAE

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