- Title: Dubai Expo 2020's 800 tonne steel dome is complete
- Date: 18th September 2019
- Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT - AUGUST 26, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXPO 2020 CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OFFICER, AHMED AL-KHATIB, SAYING: "The entire EXPO project contains about 33 projects within the bigger project. As far as the infrastructure, we are 100% complete. The thematic districts we completed earlier this year, about 87 buildings, and we obtained all the necessary completion certificates. The themed pavilions are almost there and also the conference and exhibition centre and the global village is almost completed. So we are going to be ready ahead of time." EXPO SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION CRANES ABOVE EXPO SITE VARIOUS OF EXPO SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION VARIOUS OF WORKERS ON SITE MARJAN FARAIDOONI WITH JOURNALIST EXPLAINING MOCK UP MOCK UP OF EXPO SITE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF PAVILIONS AND EXHIBITIONS OFFICER, MARJAN FARAIDOONI, SAYING: "So the legacy plans are basically maintaining 80% of our investments during the EXPO period for the post EXPO period in a city known as 'District 2020'. So this will be continuing as a place where people can continue visiting from all over the world, it will be an integrated mixed community, where we'll have a mixture of cultural offerings, programming spaces where we'll have events and also businesses that will be continuing to work out of District 2020." VARIOUS OF EXPO SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- Embargoed: 2nd October 2019 11:13
- Keywords: Dubai Expo 2020 exhibition Al-Wasl Dome Al Wasl Plaza economy
- Location: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- City: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA002AX6QHE5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The steel dome that crowns the heart of Dubai's Expo 2020 exhibition site is complete, organisers said.
The structure that surrounds Al Wasl Plaza weighs more than 800 tonnes and is a key milestone in Expo 2020's delivery.
The event is almost a year away and the construction schedule is ahead of time, according to Chief Development and Delivery Officer, Ahmed Al-Khatib.
Dubai has high hopes for the upcoming world Expo to revive its real estate market and economy as a whole, which have slowed down in recent years.
Last year, Dubai's economy grew just 1.94%, the slowest since the 2009 financial crisis, hurt by a rough patch amid a downturn in its real estate market.
Many attribute the slowing of the real estate market to the over-supply of residential and commercial construction, something that Dubai certainly hopes fill up with the forecasted 25 million visitors within the six months of Expo.
Dubai hopes to maintain the majority of the extravagant Expo site after the event, and create a new district for businesses and innovation, according to Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Pavilions and Exhibitions Officer.
The event - which is the first of its kind in the Middle East - is scheduled to start in October 2020 and will last until April 2021.
(Production: Tarek Fahmy, Sarah Duffy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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