- Arabtec Construction to complete 29,000 sqm of public spaces next to Expo 2020’s Al Wasl Plaza
- Contract scope includes 5,000 sqm water feature, restaurants, utilities and landscaping elements
- Award aligns with Expo 2020 Dubai’s strategy to create a long-term economic impact in the UAE
DUBAI, 4 February, 2019 – A major contract to complete 29,000 sqm of public spaces at Expo 2020 Dubai – worth AED 169 million – has been awarded to a UAE-based contractor, reinforcing the World Expo’s commitment to support Emirati companies and create a long-term positive impact on the country’s economy.
Arabtec Construction has secured the contract, which includes a 5,000 sqm water feature, restaurants, utilities and landscaping elements. The company will start work immediately.
Located next to Expo 2020’s iconic centrepiece Al Wasl Plaza, the public spaces will give millions of people from around the world an opportunity to relax, enjoy a bite to eat and take in the action.
Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Site Delivery Officer – Real Estate and Delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “As the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, Expo 2020 represents an incredible commercial opportunity for UAE companies of all sizes. By collaborating with industry leaders, we aim to deliver a world-class destination with public areas that complement Expo’s immersive visitor experience, while creating a positive economic impact for our nation.”
Hamish Tyrwhitt, Group Chief Executive Officer, Arabtec Holding, said: “We are very pleased to be awarded our third major project as part of the Expo masterplan. This award further demonstrates our core competency in the infrastructure sector.”
UAE-based companies are playing a leading role in the construction of Expo 2020 Dubai. Other UAE firms working on the project, including Al-Futtaim Construction, Al Naboodah Construction, Besix, Khansaheb and Tristar Engineering, are all making major contributions to the delivery of the World Expo’s 4.38 sqkm site.
In line with its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 expects to welcome 25 million visits between 20 October, 2020 and 10 April, 2021. Approximately 70 per cent of its visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.
As well as its family-friendly public areas and Al Wasl Plaza, Expo 2020 will feature three Thematic Pavilions inspired by its key subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, 190 country pavilions and much more. With everything from live entertainment, world culture and global cuisines, to activities that bring to life education, health and wellbeing in fun and engaging ways, the next World Expo will offer something for every taste.
About Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. For six months from 20 October, 2020, Expo will bring together 190 countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
- During the six months from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021, we expect to welcome 25 million visits
- About 70 per cent of all visitors are anticipated to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history
- We aim to create and deliver an inclusive and global Expo with more than 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions
- Expo 2020 also has an ambitious volunteer programme, which aims to include more than 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of ages, nationalities, cultures and backgrounds
- The Expo site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area. It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
- Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) region
Visit: www.expo2020dubai.com
Follow: Twitter: @expo2020dubai | Facebook: @Expo2020Dubai | Instagram: expo2020dubai
About World Expos
In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.
World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. Today, four types of Expos are organised under the BIE’s auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano.
About Arabtec Holding
Arabtec is a leading contractor for social and economic infrastructure. The group improves the quality of life of people living in the communities that it creates. Arabtec’s impressive list of completed projects includes iconic buildings such as the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai; Abu Dhabi landmarks, the Emirates Palace Hotel and Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum; as well as other technically challenging work on airports and related infrastructure. Arabtec was the first private construction firm to list on the Dubai Financial Market in 2005. Today, the group consists of numerous subsidiaries with specialisations spanning all segments of the construction cycle, with a vision of building the future.
Visit: www.arabtecholding.com