Reflecting the continued success of the UAE’s campaign to host the 2020 World Expo, Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) has been named an official supporter of the bid. Through a range of ongoing initiatives, DCD will engage stakeholders to highlight the country’s readiness to host this monumental gathering of the global community.

Highlighting the public sector’s role in the bid, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, UAE, said: “The support from the country’s public sector is key to winning the right to host the 2020 World Expo. As the campaign to welcome the world on the eve of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee continues to gain momentum, we are very pleased that government entities across the country, including Dubai Civil Defence, have joined the Expo campaign. We appreciate their shared commitment and we look forward to working with them throughout the bid process.”

Senior DCD officials have recently approved a series of programmes to raise awareness of and generate support for the bid. These initiatives include participating in a range of upcoming promotional events, facilitating internal briefing sessions for staff and providing its expertise as one of the bid’s public sector stakeholders.

Following this announcement, Maj. Gen. Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, DCD’s Director General, said: “One of Dubai Civil Defence’s principal mandates is to uphold the highest global safety standards during the many large-scale events that the emirate hosts. In coordination with the Higher Committee, we have developed a range of comprehensive strategies and procedures to ensure the safety of all Expo visitors and participants. We look forward to engaging diverse communities across the region to strengthen further the UAE’s bid while bringing it closer to success.”

World Expos – one of the oldest and largest international events – take place every five years and last for six months. Since 1851, World Expos have provided unique opportunities for people from across the globe to come together and celebrate the world’s cultural diversity and appreciate its technological innovations.

Dubai, UAE, is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the 2020 World Expo. The winner will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 163 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions, the intergovernmental entity responsible for overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.