Reuters
Paris
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Dubai yesterday won the right to host the 2020 World Expo, beating off competition from the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, Yekaterinburg in Russia and Izmir in Turkey in a vote by members of the world fair body.
Dubai won the support of 116 out of 164 voting members of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions in a final-round run-off against Yekaterinburg. It becomes the first Middle Eastern city to host an event that the United Arab Emirates hopes will pull in billions of dollars of investment.
Dubai lobbied hard to host the 2020 fair as a catalyst to transform the emirate of 2.2mn people into a top global centre for tourism, trade and finance.
“We are all very delighted that our country and the citizens of UAE are extremely happy, extremely honoured with this responsibility by the international community,” UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told Reuters just after the decision was announced.
In Dubai, crowds of hundreds of people waited for the result in front of big screens outside the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
World Expos, which participating countries use to showcase technological prowess, culture and architecture, are held every five years for six months. Milan will host the next one in 2015.
The fairs hold huge stakes for would-be hosts, which are prepared to spend billions on infrastructure, hotels, buildings and other preparations to attract millions of tourists.
Greetings from Qatar
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has sent a cable of greetings to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan on the occasion of Dubai winning the right to host the 2020 World Expo. HH the Emir, in a telephone conversation, also congratulated UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani has sent a cable of congratulations to President Sheikh Khalifa.