There are no plans to restrict access to this year’s Expo 2020 Dubai to only those who have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.
And organisers have stressed that the world showcase, which will be the first global gathering since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, will be one of the safest for those taking part and visitors alike.
More than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – are set to attend Expo 2020 Dubai, which will also be the first world fair to take place in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region.
Despite the ongoing health crisis, targets to achieve 25 million visits during the six-month event remain.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and part of the Expo Organising Committee, said: “All the countries are genuinely interested and see the urgency of coming back together. We are in a situation here which is unprecedented.The Expo definitely offers an opportune moment to reflect, an opportune moment for all the countries to reconnect with the world.
“We are not expecting visitors to the Expo to all be vaccinated. Dubai has not announced that it will only allow visitors to be vaccinated.”
Expo 2020 Dubai, which was postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is scheduled to launch on October 1 and run for 182 days through to March 31, under the theme of ‘Connecting minds, creating the future’.
Su Ramanathan, the event’s vice president of market strategy & sales, told Arabian Business that stringent measures were in place, from thermal cameras and sanitisation stations, to mandatory face mask wearing and social distance regulations.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing
“We have possibly one of the most vaccinated and safest environments in the 4.3-square-kilometre site,” she said.
Dubai continues to go from strength-to-strength since reopening to the world in July last year, leading the way in terms of coronavirus testing and being part of the UAE’s hugely successful vaccination programme – to date almost 11.5 million vaccines have been administered across the entire country.
And in April, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, announced that Expo’s vaccination programme would be extended to all official representatives of the countries taking part in the event.
Ramanathan said: “From an international perspective, the tracking and tracing that has been done by Dubai is exceptional. Everyone comes in with a PCR test before they even board the plane. So from a safety perspective, the ability of the Dubai authorities to be able to track that is very positive.”
Working hand-in-hand with Dubai Health Authority, the measures also include virtual inspections of workforce accommodation and the offer of the Covid-19 vaccine to all employees and their households.
While a huge number of electronic signposts will safely guide the flow of people around the site and 30,000 volunteers will be on hand daily to help. There is also an Expo app, which people can use to plan their visit and receive alerts on areas which may have larger numbers gathering.
“With one flight ticket and one PCR test you get to visit more than 190 countries, which in today’s world I think is the best pitch you can have,” said Ramanathan.
Earlier this month, 370 delegates from 173 countries met for the final Expo international participants meeting (IPM) to hear and experience firsthand the steps being put in place ahead of the October 1 grand opening.
While earlier this year, Expo 2020’s compliance with the relevant safety standards and protocols was recognised by the Government of Dubai, when the Expo Pavilions Premiere was awarded the Dubai Assured stamp.
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