Dubai ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - Dubai will host the 2020 edition of the World Expo , having beaten three other cities in contention : Yekaterinburg ( Russia ) , Izmir (Turkey) and Sao Paulo in Brazil. The official announcement marked the end of the 154th General Assembly of the International Exhibitions Bureau ( BIE ) in Paris , and was greeted by fireworks launched from the Burj Khalifa , the tallest building in the world. Dubai is the first city in the Middle East to host the Expo, an event that takes place every five years, the next appointment is scheduled in 2015 in Milan.
The Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid al -Maktoum has assured that the event will be an opportunity to
"surprise" the whole world and an "unforgettable experience".
In
the final vote Dubai ( 116 votes ) beat the Russian city of Yekaterinburg (47).
"
Dubai Expo 2020 - he added - will give new life to the ancient role of the
Middle East , a melting pot of cultures and creativity."
The
universal exhibition will promote a turnover of around 23 billion dollars to
fund the six-month event, costing at least 8.4 billion , of which 6.5 will be
allocated by the local government for infrastructure projects. Among
these , a new and impressive exhibition center , plus new hotels and an
extension of the subway line .
The
victory of the city that boasts the tallest building in the Emirates and the
largest man-made island in the world , along with one of the busiest airports ,
will be an opportunity for development and visibility for the entire Middle
East region . The
field of travel and tourism will absorb 47% of the 227 thousand new jobs
planned for the future.
The
World Expo , a modern version of the Universal Exhibitions of the nineteenth
and early twentieth century, it is an unmissable showcase in terms of
technology , architecture, design and culture. The
latest edition in Shanghai, in 2010, reported a record number of 73 million
visitors.
Dubai
is the second largest of the seven emirates that form the confederation of the
United Arab Emirates (UAE ). It has a population of about 2.1 million
inhabitants out of a little more than 7.5 million throughout the confederation.
Islam
is the official state religion and the most widespread, even if the government
pursues a policy of relative tolerance towards other religions , while not
allowing proselytism. The
majority are Sunni Muslim , but there are also Shia minorities , Christians,
Hindus and Buddhists , especially among immigrants who make up 80 % of the
total population . Of
these, the vast majority (85%) come from Asia : India ( 51%), Pakistan (16%) ,
Bangladeshi (9%) and the Philippines ( 6%).