The United Arab Emirates has officially requested that Expo 2020 Dubai be postponed until October 2021, as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic, according to the authority overseeing the international exhibition today, Saturday.
"The government of the United Arab Emirates has formally requested that the Dubai World Expo 2020 be postponed," said the Paris-based International Bureau of Exhibitions.
"After consultations with the International Bureau of Exhibitions, participating countries and key stakeholders, the UAE proposed October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 as a new date for Expo 2020 Dubai."
The UAE has also requested approval to continue using Expo 2020 Dubai as the official name for the event, despite the delay.
The International Bureau of Exhibitions stated that it will hold an online meeting on April 21 to discuss "options related to changing dates".
The statement stated that "the request of the UAE government was sent after in-depth discussions between the Expo 2020 Dubai Preparatory Committee and the organizers and the International Exhibitions Bureau on the implications of the global Covid-19 epidemic."
He noted that "the final decision on changing dates can only be taken by a vote of two-thirds of the member states of the International Bureau of Exhibitions in favor of that."
Dubai was hoping to attract some 25 million visitors to the six-month event, which costs billions of dollars, and was scheduled to start on October 20 this year.
| Part of the construction work at the Expo 2020 site in Dubai (French - Archive) |
Not the first exhibit postponed
Dubai has canceled or postponed a series of numerous economic, cultural and entertainment events in recent weeks, against the backdrop of the virus.
One of the most prominent international exhibitions postponed due to the Coruna Virus was the "Global Forum on Agricultural Innovations," which was postponed to August 2020, after it was scheduled for March 9.
The organizers of the Dubai International Boat Show (the largest gathering of its kind for recreational boats in the Middle East and North Africa) announced that it was postponed to November due to the spread of Corona Virus, and the exhibition would be held from 10 to 14 March last in the port of Dubai.
The UAE has detected 1,505 Covid-19 deaths and ten deaths, and has implemented strict isolation measures to reduce the epidemic, including a night curfew.