Expo 2020 Dubai has kick-started its sixth and final International Participants’ Meeting (IPM), gathering more than 370 representatives from countries, international organisations and key stakeholders in Dubai ahead of the World Expo’s opening on 1 October.

The 6th and final International Participants Meeting before Expo 2020 Dubai opens on 1 October 2021

　　With the final touches being made to the Expo 2020 Dubai site and pavilions, the two-day meeting is an opportunity for the Expo 2020 Dubai Organisers, International Participants and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to review the latest progress and ongoing preparations for the event. Participants will exchange and work together with the Expo Organisers and BIE officials on a range of subjects concerning the six-month event, which will open in exactly 150 days under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The topics addressed include operational and logistical matters such as event programming, communications and city readiness, as well as the protocols put in place to ensure the health and well-being of employees, participants and visitors.

　　Delegates from 173 countries and 24 international organisations are attending the meeting in person, held at Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo 2020 Dubai, with a number of country representatives also participating virtually. This 6th IPM is the first physical gathering of international participants since August 2019 and is also the very first event to take place in the Dubai Exhibition Centre, a 45,000m2 multipurpose venue that will play host to many of Expo 2020 Dubai’s largest events.

The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, addressing Expo 2020 Dubai's 6th International Participants Meeting

　　In opening remarks, the Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes declared:“World Expos provide us with a global platform for modern multilateralism, bringing together countries, international organisations, businesses, NGOs, researchers and citizens, so that everyone can play a role in creating solutions and overcoming challenges.

　　“For tens of millions of people, here in the UAE, in the Middle East and across the world, Expo 2020 Dubai will be the occasion, to reconnect with the whole world, to truly engage with questions of universal importance and to develop innovative solutions to our global problems. In Dubai, by connecting minds, we will create a better future.”

　　His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said:“Today, the world has come to Expo 2020 Dubai, travelling from every corner of the planet to join us here, to share our excitement and to see first-hand our advanced state of readiness. As we approach the climax of our journey to deliver an Expo that inspires, enlightens and astonishes, our message is clear: We are ready to welcome the world.”

　　Organised under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, Expo 2020 Dubai will take place between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region and will gather more than 200 International Participants.