Five Things Dubai Expo Will Bring To UAE Business Owners - Long After It's Over!

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Expos can provide a real boost to a city, showcasing its strengths and innovation on an international platform. But in fact the most important aspect of these events is the long-term legacy they can leave behind.

The upcoming Expo 2021 in Dubai will enable visitors to experience world-class science and technology, art and culture and invention. It presents a huge opportunity to celebrate the city and the MEASA region as a whole.

Here are just five of the ways Expo 2021 could help to transform Dubai in a lasting way:

• Improved infrastructure:Many cities when planning an expo will need to put investment into infrastructure such as public transport, airports, roads and so on. This really exemplifies how such events can serve the long-term needs of a city and its inhabitants. Doing away with outdated transport systems and road networks can improve the lives of all citizens as well as increasing efficiency.
• Tourism boost:Another compelling reason for a city to host an expo is that it can provide lasting growth for the tourism sector. One way is through the construction of unique landmarks. Consider this: the Eiffel Tower in Paris was built for the Paris Expo in 1889 and it’s still pulling in healthy numbers of tourists well over a century later.
• Lasting international awareness:A key goal of any expo should be to enhance the city’s international prestige – not just during the event itself but long afterwards. This means increasing interest not just from tourists (see above) but the international business community. An expo often results in an influx of investment and a resulting economic boost.
• Increased commercial and residential capacity:In addition to newly designed public spaces, let’s not forget that an expo can also increase the availability of commercial and residential space. This means more choice and price options for citizens and businesses.
• Social impacts:It goes without saying that all of the above is good for the overall confidence and wellbeing of a city’s residents. But it can also have a lasting impact on residents in other ways. For example, there may have been investments made in hospitality training or understanding different cultures, languages and social protocols in order to make expo visitors welcome. This can result in a new pool of citizens with skills to be translated to other initiatives in the future.

When planning events on such a scale, it’s easy to lose sight of the legacy goals for the city when focusing on the immediate ‘wow’ factor. How can an expo foster sustained growth, confidence and societal benefits? Questions such as these are the ones planners should be asking themselves if they want to reap the long-term rewards.