Dubai Ruler said all the teams are ready and pavilions are complete for the world’s largest event and the UAE is looking forward to welcoming people from 191 countries, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday visited the Expo 2020 Dubai and reviewed the final preparations being made to host the global event.
The visit comes a month ahead of the official inauguration of Expo 2020 Dubai which was actually scheduled to begin last year but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our teams are ready and pavilions are complete for the world’s largest event since the outset of pandemic. The UAE is looking forward to welcoming people from 191 countries,” Sheikh Mohammed said in a tweet.
“We promise people from all over the world an unprecedented Expo. The 6 months of the event will go down in history for the ideas and inventions that will benefit humanity for years to come,” he added.
The global fair is expected to draw 25 million visits during its six-month run starting October 1.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces has said Expo 2020 Dubai builds upon UAE’s longstanding history as a facilitator of cultural dialogue & exchange.
“One month from today, the UAE will proudly host Expo 2020 Dubai, one of the world’s largest cultural events. Delivered under the guidance of my brother Mohammed bin Rashid, the event builds upon our nation’s longstanding history as a facilitator of cultural dialogue & exchange,” he tweeted.
UAE announced the reopening of borders for Indian travellers ahead of the global trade fair. Effective from August 30, 2021, VFS Global has resumed UAE tourist visa services for Indians.
Travellers will be required to present a valid negative Covid-19 test certificate issued within 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample and from an approved health service, which use the QR code system, as well as Rapid PCR test report conducted at the departure airport 6 hours prior to departure, provided with a QR code system.
No GDRFA or ICA approval is required for tourists travelling to the UAE. “The reopening of borders to the UAE is a reassuring move for the travel industry, with the United Arab Emirates being among the most popular destinations for Indians, especially with the Expo 2020 Dubai around the corner. We wish all our customers safe travel,” said Noel Swain, Business Head — Schengen, eVisa and Passport Services, VFS Global.
Meanwhile, India had earlier launched a series of competitions to popularise Expo 2020 Dubai as its preparations gather steam for participation in the event.
“The main purpose of these competitions is to amplify the core message of the Dubai World Expo: Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” according to an overview of the contests by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The representative organisation of Indian business, FICCI is the industry partner for Indian participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.
The India Pavilion intends to identify and felicitate individuals and groups with innovative ideas which merit demonstration at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The contests range from a Digital Services Design Competition and an Ocean Pollution Mitigation Competition to a Future Universities Design Competition and a Global Sustainable Housing Design Competition.
The challenges are collectively themed as “Ideas and Innovations at the India Pavilion”. One contest whose winners are expected to be a big draw at the India Pavilion features success stories of women from India’s villages, concrete examples that have added value to people’s lives.