The Steering Committee of the BIE in Paris, supports the recommendation of the government of the United Arab Emirates and the EXPO 2020 Dubai Steering Committee to postpone the EXPO event by a year, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The decision will be affirmed, once it is confirmed by votes in-favor from a majority of at least 2/3of the eligible member countries. Poland has cast a supporting vote.
The procedure for changing the date of the EXPO is a multi-stage process, described in Article 28 of the Convention on International Exhibitions, signed in Paris on November 22, 1928. The new timeframe recommended by the organizers of EXPO in Dubai and the UAE government is October 1, 2021–31 March 2022.
– In the light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the EXPO theme: “Connecting minds, creating the future”, is gaining a new implication. Declarations of solidarity, cooperation and concern for future generations are gaining new significance. According to the assumptions, EXPO in Dubai is to be a platform for cooperation and an example of how much can be achieved by joining efforts to meet global challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic creates a new context for all political, economic and promotional activities. As Poland, we will participate in this new international discussion, and thus we maintain the declaration of our country’s participation in the EXPO World Exhibition in Dubai - says Adrian Malinowski, Commissioner General of the Polish Section at EXPO 2020 Dubai.
The World EXPO in Dubai was supposed to be world’s biggest promotional and economic event this year, unfortunately its dates have had to be changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, other industry-specific events in Dubai due to take place this spring – such as the Dubai International Boat Show, Beauty World Middle East, and the Arabian Travel Market – have also been postponed.
Without doubt the postponement of the World EXPO, but especially the change of circumstances, pose new challenges for the Organizer and the Participants, including Poland. We want to use this time effectively. Our objectives remain the same: to strengthen Poland’s economic relations with the UAE and the whole Middle East, to support Poland’s exporters find new markets and building long-term business cooperation, to help overcome barriers created by the current pandemic situation. After the decision to change the dates of the EXPO in Dubai is confirmed. We will start to work on actualizing our priorities and set our new timetable of preparations. While working to fulfill our economic and promotional aims, we will take into account all the necessary safety factors – added Adrian Malinowski.
