Abu Dhabi: The Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions, BIE, has collectively agreed to recommend the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai to October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Changing the dates of an expo requires the support of a two-thirds majority of member states of the BIE (Article 28 of the Paris Convention of 1928), member states will now be called upon to vote on the committee’s recommendation.
Voting will be carried out remotely between Friday April 24 and Friday May 29.
Members of the committee – delegates of 12 member states elected by the BIE’s general assembly - met virtually yesterday to examine the change in dates requested by the UAE government.
This request was made after a meeting of the Expo 2020 Dubai Steering Committee on March 30, during which participating countries expressed their need to postpone the expo’s opening to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Considering the practical impossibility of holding a general assembly, member states will be asked to cast their vote remotely before May 29.
Should the motion receive a two-thirds majority of eligible and voting member states, the dates of Expo 2020 Dubai will be officially changed to October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
"World Expos are collective endeavours that express the shared international goal of progress for all humankind. I am confident that when the time is right, Expo 2020 Dubai will constitute the best platform to build, with renewed optimism and hope, a better and brighter future for all", said BIE secretary-general Dimitri S Kerkentzes.
UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai Reem Al Hashemy said, "We welcome today’s BIE recommendation to support a request by the UAE government and Expo 2020’s steering committee to postpone Expo 2020 for a year”.
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