Dubai - MENA Herald: A range of companies from sectors including aviation, technology, finance, logistics, telecommunications, travel and tourism have begun discussions to explore how they can play a role in supporting the delivery of Expo 2020 Dubai. The mega-event, expected to be the most visited event in the world in 2020, has signed Emirates Airline and Etisalat as its first Premier Partners, raising several hundred million US dollars.
Expo 2020 Dubai’s partnership programme offers three tiers of partnerships: Premier Partners, Official Partners and Official Providers.
The 12 Premier Partners will have access to exclusive rights and benefits with Expo 2020 Dubai, including the ability to use the Expo 2020 Dubai logo, licensing and merchandising rights and the chance to be involved in Expo’s communication and promotional activities. Expo organisers seek to recruit up to 20 Official Partners over the next year, and the Official Providers programme will launch in 2018, which will include opportunities for up to 20 organisations.
Participants in the Partnership programme stand to benefit significantly from global brand exposure, a chance to connect with the more than 25 million visitors that Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract, while enjoying direct access to more than 2 billion people in markets across the wider region.
These partnerships have a key role to play as Dubai prepares to host one of the world’s largest events. The scale and complexity of a global mega event means that the services and experience partners bring contributes to the success of the event. They also leave behind a legacy of skills and expertise that will contribute to the UAE’s ongoing economic diversification – part of Expo’s planned legacy.
Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation and Director–General Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, said, “Global mega events offer significant opportunities to businesses, and the World Expo, in visitor terms, is the biggest of them all. Expo 2020 Dubai offers a unique proposition. It’s the first World Expo to be hosted in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia. Connections through Dubai have already made the world closer, and the connections that Expo 2020 Dubai will promote will allow global businesses to get closer to a dynamic region of almost 3 billion people.”
She continued: “This is a young region, and young people, millennials - preoccupied with the future of the world, the opportunities available to them, and need to live sustainably – are a key audience for Expo 2020 Dubai. That only adds to the Expo’s appeal for those wishing to address that audience.”
Expo 2020 Dubai is looking to work with companies that have already demonstrated their commitment to social development, while facilitating innovation and human ingenuity. As a convening platform, Expo 2020 Dubai seeks to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges, and commercial partnerships will play an integral role in translating that vision to reality, she said.
“The idea of partnership sits at the very heart of Expo 2020 Dubai,” Her Excellency concluded. “We are guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people coming together. These steps are only the beginning, and we look forward creating more opportunities to generate significant value for our partners, our country, and our communities.”
Participants in the Partnership programme will be key players in developing the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. By fostering these connections, Expo 2020 Dubai seeks to create a collaborative and inclusive global platform and shape a long lasting legacy that will live on long after the event comes to a close.
In May 2016, it was announced that Emirates Airline had signed on as the first Premier Partner, establishing the carrier as the Official Airline Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai. Under the terms of the partnership, Emirates will be a licensed ticket reseller. Emirates’ strong global brand and marketing efforts, and its extensive route network to over 150 destinations means that it is uniquely placed to support Expo 2020 Dubai in attracting 70 per cent of all visitors whom are expected to travel internationally to visit the Expo. Expo 2020 Dubai and Emirates Airline are also exploring opportunities on the site in the post-event phase, as part of securing a lasting cultural and economic legacy for the Expo. The Expo site is located in Dubai South, directly adjacent to the Al Maktoum International Airport, where Emirates will move its operations to later in the 2020s.
Yesterday, Expo 2020 Dubai announced that had signed the Etisalat Group as its second Premier Partner, granting telecoms giant global rights as Expo’s Official Telecommunications and Digital Services Partner, including the 18 countries that the company currently operates in, as well as the opportunity to have its own pavilion during the event. Starting in July of this year, Etisalat will be involved in creating the infrastructure for the Expo site – enabling Expo 2020 Dubai to provide visitors and participants with a cutting edge, immersive digital experience that brings the Expo themes to life for its visitors. Etisalat will also provide on-site Wi-Fi capable to handling up to 300,000 people onsite in a day. Etisalat and Expo 2020 Dubai are also discussing possibilities for a permanent presence on the site in the post-event phase, as part of a long lasting legacy centred on the stimulation of a knowledge economy and innovation hub.
