Dubai to host 2020 World Expo

Joanne Faulkner

(Editor: Middle East)

DUBAI – Dubai is set to become the first Middle Eastern city to host the Word Expo event, it has been announced, following today’s vote in Paris .

Only decades ago the city was largely vast areas of sand, however the city beat off Izmir in Turkey, Yekaterinburg in Russia and Brazil’s Sao Paulo in the race to host the event, which takes place every five years, despite nearly suffering complete finical collapse in both 2008 and 2010.

The Expo provides the opportunity for hundreds of countries to come together and showcase the latest in technology and architecture.

The event will run for six months creating thousands of jobs in the process. The government is projecting that subsequently Dubai will see over 25 million visitors flock to the city, the majority of whom will come from outside the UEA. The estimated cost of hosting duties is expected to be $8bn as the government plough money into infrastructure to support the demand.

The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh al-Maktoum, said: ”We renew our promise to astonish the world in 2020″.

Many are skeptical of the whether the city’s delicate financial structure will be able to cope with the strain of hosting the event, residents however continue to celebrate, supportive of this opportunity.

The 2015 Expo will take place in Milan.

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