The announcement was made at the Dubai Maritime Agenda conference organised by Dubai Maritime City Authority at the Madinat Jumeirah complex in Dubai today.
Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Chairman, Federal Transport Authority (FTA) – Land and Maritime, opened the conference, by reaffirming the UAE’s commitment to playing a leading role in development of the global maritime industry.
He emphasised that the country took its role on the Executive Council of the International Maritime Organization “very seriously” with a permanent representative in London to attend meetings of the UN body, and earlier this month Dr Aysha Al Busmait, director of government communications at the FTA, became the first woman appointed by the IMO as a Goodwill Maritime Ambassador.
Dubai will host the World Expo between October 2020 and April 2021, announced Najeeb Al Ali (pictured), executive director of Expo 2020. It is the first time the event is being held in the Middle East, and 192 countries have confirmed their participation, he said, the largest number in the Expo’s 160-year history.
Dubai is hoping to attract 25 million visitors over the six months of the event, whose theme is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’
The Expo site, which is being developed in the south of Dubai, will be renamed District 2020 after the event has ended and will support sustainability, innovation, tourism and educational initiatives. Proposals include the opening of a maritime institute.
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