Dubai’s World Expo 2020 has been delayed by a year – and it’s going to cost Kiwi taxpayers.
By Audrey Malone
Member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions, the group behind the expo, returned a majority vote this week to push the event back by a year due to Covid-19.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed New Zealand was one of the first countries to vote in favour of the postponement.
“Expo 2020 next year will be an opportunity for the world to come together and collaborate in the spirit of solidarity and optimism as we rebuild the global economy following Covid-19.
“There will be some additional cost to the delay – we are working through the implications of this.”
The New Zealand Government has already poured more than $53million into the four year project , which will have an exhibition experience, hosting venues, and a restaurant.
Construction on the multimillion dollar pavilion was due to be completed in July. The main contractors, Rimond Middle East, are committed to completing it, however there will be a delay to the final delivery.
Another delay for the event were the auditions for Kiwi kids to participate in the ‘Voice of Youth’ show , overseen by New Zealand’s entertainment and cultural programme curator, Parris Goebel. These were set to happen in April, but were unable to go ahead due to Level 4 lockdown. A new date for these auditions is yet to be announced.
The expo will now run from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Over 100 countries were set to have a presence at the exhibition, with an expected 25 million visitors from across the globe.
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