JEDDAH – The MEED Destination Dubai 2020, to be held on Jan. 28-29, 2014 at JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Dubai, will be the first opportunity for local, regional and international businesses to align short- to long-term strategies and capitalize on opportunities around Dubai's build up for its World Expo 2020 hosting stint. “The world's eyes are now on Dubai and MEED is ready to respond with information, analysis and insights about how business can engage effectively with the project and service boom that will sweep the emirate and the UAE in the years to 2020,” said MEED Events Chairman Edmund O'Sullivan. Destination Dubai 2020 will be the seminal conference about Dubai's plans to 2020. “It will of course provide details of the plans supporting the delivery of the World Expo. But it will also cover in detail the plans devised by business and government in the UAE to support the event,” he further said. The MEED Destination Dubai 2020 conference engages all the key stakeholders that will be involved with delivering the event in seven years' time. It will provide a comprehensive overview of Dubai's long-term plans encompassing real estate, the hospitality sector, infrastructure including water, electricity and roads, transport including seaport and airport developments, aviation, financial services and manufacturing. CH2M Hill, a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management, sees the Dubai World Expo 2020 event as another great platform to transform the city into a vibrant, global destination. “The global confidence in Dubai's triumphant bid to host Expo 2020 is a testament to the admirable leadership of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. We look forward to the opportunity to partnering with the city in executing projects that will have a lasting impact on the emirate for generations to come,” says Jacqueline Hinman, Chief Executive Officer, CH2M Hill. Another exciting development that will solidify Dubai's positioning as an international business and tourism hub is the unexpectedly rapid resurgence of the real estate sector buoyed by rising house prices and rental increases in the emirate. “Dubai's hosting of the World Expo 2020 event is a fantastic global endorsement for the UAE which will help maintain, or even accelerate, the strong economic momentum which has been building during the past 12 to 18 months. This is good news both for the projects market and the wider construction sector, with significant investment planned in tourism, leisure and enabling transportation and infrastructure which will not only support the Expo, but will also leave a valuable national legacy,” said Simon Moon, CEO, Middle East, Atkins, one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies. These tourism projects will account for over 50 percent of $7 billion worth of construction projects being tendered in Dubai and will triple the sector's contribution to the UAE economy to $82 billion in the next six years. One of the major highlights of Dubai Destination 2020's agenda is the Dubai leaders' panel, where perspectives from leading players from across various business sectors will outline the strategic initiatives attached to delivering Dubai the 2020 vision. Confirmed panelists include Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Arif Amiri, Chief Commercial Officer, Emaar Properties and Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority (DMCC). The conference will be officially opened by Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General, Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM). In addition, Destination Dubai 2020 will also present a comprehensive review of the on-going developments in utilities & energy infrastructure to underpin future growth in power, renewable energy, desalination, wastewater, and waste management. In EC Harris' latest Global Built Asset Wealth Index report, the UAE ranked in the top 25 wealthiest nations in terms of built assets. With Dubai's planned investments on new projects, the UAE along with Brazil and Singapore are expected to be the highest climbers over the coming decade. — SG
