Flag Day in the UAE, next in Palestine?

Flag Day in the UAE on November 3

Two flag-related news items in the past couple of weeks got me thinking about our flags -- a symbol we maybe overlook sometimes.

The first is that November 3 has been designated “Flag Day” in the Emirates. The second is a UN General Assembly resolution that approved the flying of the Palestinian flag at UN Headquarters in New York.

Both flags, coincidentally, have the same colors and are very similar in design.

It is difficult to overlook the flag in the UAE. It is proudly displayed not only on government buildings but also on businesses and homes, especially in the run-up to National Day on December 2.

HH Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minster of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, or Sheikh Mo as he is affectionately known, on September 15 called on Emiratis to hoist the UAE flag atop all departments, institutions and homes around the country, in an expression of solidarity with the Emirati martyrs who were killed in the line of duty while taking part in the Arab Coalition's Operation Restoring Hope, led by Saudi Arabia.

HH Sheikh Mohammed's posting on Twitter

Sheikh Mo’s call came via his official Twitter account. He posted: “We call on all Emiratis to express their solidarity through hoisting the UAE flag atop their homes, departments and institutions around the country.”

On the same day, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a Palestinian resolution to allow its flag to fly in front of the UN headquarters in New York, infuriating Israel of course and giving hope to Palestinians seeking to gain full UN membership.

Flying the Palestinian flag atop the Wall

The vote was passed with 119 votes out of 193 in favor. Among the European countries that voted “yes” were France, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Poland.  The majority of EU member states were among the 45 countries that abstained. A total of eight countries voted against, including the U.S. and Israel. 

The General Assembly resolution

Currently, the UN has only one other non-member observer state -- the Vatican. The Holy See was not supportive when the idea was first brought up last month, however, and rejected the Palestinians’ original proposal to introduce the resolution as a joint effort, asking the Vatican to co-sponsor the document. The Vatican still remains unsure whether it will be flying its flag next to Palestine’s.

It is may be a small symbolic victory. But seeing that Israel flies its flag all over Palestine, why not?

The Israeli flag flying in the streets...

of the Old City of Jerusalem

I was shocked and dismayed by these Israeli flags flying all over, especially in the Old City of Jerusalem. Maybe a “Flag Day” in Palestine will go some way in redressing the balance.

DESIGN

The Palestinian flag is a tricolor of three equal horizontal stripes -- black, white, and green from top to bottom -- overlaid by a red triangle issuing from the hoist. These are the Pan-Arab colors inspired by the Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule (1916–1918). Prior to being the flag of the Palestinian people, it was the flag of the short-lived Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan.

The flag used by the Arab Palestinian nationalists in the first half of the 20th century is the flag of the 1916 Arab Revolt. The origins of the flag are the subject of dispute and mythology. In one version, the colors were chosen by the Arab nationalist “Literary Club” in Constantinople in 1909, based on the words of the 13th-century Arab poet Safiaddin al-Hili:

Ask the high rising spears, of our aspirations

Bring witness the swords, did we lose hope

We are a band, honor halts our souls

Of beginning with harm, those who won’t harm us

White are our deeds, black are our battles,

Green are our fields, red are our swords.

Another version credits the Young Arab Society, formed in Paris in 1911. Yet another version is that the flag was designed by Sir Mark Sykes (of Sykes-Picot repute).

On October 18, 1948, the flag of the Arab Revolt was adopted by the All-Palestine Government, and was recognized subsequently by the Arab League as the flag of Palestine. A modified version (changing the order of stripes) has been used in Palestine at least since the late 1930s and was officially adopted as the flag of the Palestinian people by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964. On November 15, 1988 the PLO adopted the flag as the flag of the State of Palestine.

Flying the Palestinian flag

On the ground the flag became widely used since the Oslo Agreements, with the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1993.

In 1967, immediately following the Six-Day War, Israel banned the Palestinian flag in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. A 1980 law forbidding artwork of "political significance" banned artwork composed of its four colors, and Palestinians were arrested for displaying such artwork. Since the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993, the ban has been abolished.

Let's proudly fly our flag...

Anti-Discriminatory Law issued in UAE

His Highness Sheikh Mo (as the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is affectionately known) posted on Twitter earlier today that the United Arab Emirates has issued a new law against any form of discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, color or ethnic origin following a Decree by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM)  the new law, No.02 of 2015, criminalizes any acts that stoke religious hatred and/or which insult religion through any form of expression, be it speech or the written word, books, pamphlets or via online media. The law also includes provisions for punishing anyone for terming other religious groups or individuals as infidels, or unbelievers.

The law is intended to provide a sound foundation for the environment of tolerance, broad-mindedness and acceptance in the UAE and aims to safeguard people regardless of their origin, beliefs or race, against acts that promote religious hate and intolerance.

Penalties for violation of the various provisions of the law include jail-terms of six months to over 10 years and fines from Dhs 50,000 to Dhs 2 million.

The Anti-Discriminatory Law prohibits any act that would be considered as insulting God, his prophets or apostles or holy books or houses of worship or graveyards. It also has provisions to fight discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of religion, caste, doctrine, race, color or ethnic origin.

The law condemns actions that would comprise hate speech or the promotion of discrimination or violence against others using any form of media, including online, print, radio or visual media.

Strict action will be taken against any form of expressions of hatred or incitement to hate crimes spread in the form of speech and published media.

The law also criminalizes any act that amounts to abuse of religion or vandalism of religious rituals, holy sites or symbols, and takes a serious view of violence on the basis of religious doctrines.

The law prohibits any entity or group established specifically to provoke religious hatred and recommends stringent punishment for groups or supporters of any organizations or individuals that are associated with hate crimes. It also bars any kind of events such as conferences and meetings within the UAE organized with the sole purpose of sowing seeds of discrimination, discord or hatred against individuals or groups on the basis of faith, origin or race. Receiving financial support for such activities is also punishable under the new law.

The law encourages anyone involved in any activity that violates the law to voluntarily submit themselves before the authorities and has provisions allowing the courts to waive penalties in such cases.

The new law does not contradict with any other existing laws meant to protect specially privileged groups in the society such as women, children and individuals with disabilities or others.

The Anti-Discriminatory Law in full, as published in Gulf News:

1. Criminalizes any acts that stoke religious hatred
2. Criminalizes any act that insults religion through any form of expression, be it speech or the written word, books, pamphlets or online
3. Punishes anyone for terming other religious groups or individuals as infidels, or unbelievers
4. Provides a sound foundation for the environment of tolerance, broad-mindedness and acceptance in the UAE
5. Aims to safeguard people regardless of their origin, beliefs or race, against acts that promote religious hate and intolerance
6. Includes jail terms of six months to more than 10 years for those who break the law
7. Includes fines of between Dh50,000 and Dh2 million for those who break the law
8. Prohibits any act that would be considered as insulting God, His prophets or apostles or holy books or houses of worship or graveyards
9. Makes it illegal to discriminate against individuals or groups on the basis of religion, caste, doctrine, race, color or ethnic origin
10. Prohibits any entity or group established specifically to provoke religious hatred
11. Recommends stringent punishments for groups or supporters of any organizations or individuals that are associated with hate crimes
12. Prohibits any kind of events such as conferences and meetings within the UAE organized with the sole purpose of sowing seeds of discrimination, discord or hatred against individuals or groups on the basis of faith, origin or race
13. Makes it illegal to receive financial support to fund activities that propagate hate
14. Encourages anyone involved in any activity that violates the law to voluntarily submit themselves before the authorities
15. Allows courts to waive penalties where people voluntarily submit themselves to authorities
16. Dovetails with other existing laws to protect specially privileged groups such as women, children and individuals with disabilities or others

Sheikh Hamdan donates World Cup prize money to Dubai Autism Center

Sheikh Hamdan celebrates Prince Bishop's win with Jockey William Buick

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has donated his $6 million (Dh22 million) prize money for Prince Bishop winning the Dubai World Cup horse race to the Dubai Autism Center.

Sheikh Hamdan joined his father Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai, at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night to watch Prince Bishop romp home on the 20th  anniversary of the world’s richest horse race. 

And he wasted little time in spending his windfall, taking to Twitter to announce that he was pledging the money to a cause close to his heart.

Sheikh Hamdan, known affectionately as Faz3, is the chairman of the Dubai Autism Center. He was optimistic the money will go towards changing young children’s lives.

He also directed that plans and initiatives be launched so that the children in the center will reap the enormous psychological, social and therapeutic benefits as quickly as possible.

The Dubai World Cup, the richest horse race in the world, is held at the Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse on the last Saturday in March.

Sheikh Mo at the races on Saturday

The brainchild of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai World Cup was inaugurated in 1996 as a tribute to his love of horses and horseracing. The total value of the prize money stands at over $35 million, with the annual invitation-only Dubai World Cup, worth $10 million.

On Saturday night (March 28), Prince Bishop pulled away from favorite California Chrome on the home straight and won the $10 million Dubai World Cup by 2 ¾ lengths.

Starting from the inside post, jockey William Buick rode Prince Bishop to his first victory on dirt. It was the fourth attempt for the eight-year-old horse in the world's richest race.

Buick said it would take some time to gather his thoughts after winning the world's richest horse race.

"I can't express what I am feeling right now," he said. "It's very surreal. We were detached last, but ended up traveling very well in the last turn.

"I didn't look back, but I imagine we won well because I could hear the commentator. I feel a bit numb at the moment, but I'm sure when I get home and relax it will sink in."

Prince Bishop was bred in Ireland, but has been trained by Saeed bin Suroor in the Emirates.

UAE names 1st woman delegate to UN

Lana Nusseibeh (photo via www.weforum.org/Norbert Schiller)

Lana Nusseibeh has become the UAE’s first woman delegate to the United Nations.

HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai swore in Nusseibeh on August 1.

The announcement comes as no surprise following last December’s UAE Cabinet decision that made it compulsory for corporations and government agencies to include women on their boards of directors.

Sheikh Mo, as we fondly refer to His Highness, announced to his more than 1.3 million followers on Twitter on December 9, 2012: “We have also made a decision to make the representation of women, in all the boards of directors of companies and government entities, compulsory… Women proved themselves in many workplaces and today we want them to have a strong presence in decision-making positions in our institutions.”

Very few nations have implemented such far-reaching regulations to ensure the representation of women.

Norway became the first country to introduce board gender quotas in 2003. There, if a board has more than nine directors, each gender must be represented by at least 40 per cent of directors.

In Europe, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain and Iceland have also introduced quotas.

Elsewhere, Malaysia last year announced it would be compulsory from 2016 for women to have 30 per cent representation in decision-making positions.

Hence, Nusseibeh joins a growing number of women decision-makers in the Emirates, including:

-- Four ministers -- HE Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, HE Maryam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi, H.E Dr. Maitha' Salem Al Shamsi and HE Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy);

-- Seven Federal National Council members, one of them Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, who made history as the first deputy speaker of the FNC and chaired the House session in January 2013); and

-- Four ambassadors.

Nusseibeh was director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Policy Planning Department.

She joined the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (FNCA) in August 2006 as Director of Communications running regional and international media and communications strategy for the first UAE elections to the FNC in December 2006.

Nusseibeh developed key position statements for UAE government spokespeople and handled domestic and international media relations as well as communications management during the election period.

From August 2007, she established and directed the Research Unit at the Ministry to provide policy research and recommendations on key issues that impact the development of the UAE.

Aside from parliamentary issues, Nusseibeh works directly with Minister of State for FNCA Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, who is also Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, chairperson of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, chair of the committee to monitor issues that Impact the reputation of the UAE and deputy chair of the National Population Committee.

Nusseibeh is frequently part of UAE delegations abroad as part of the minister’s team. Her areas of policy work include parliamentary affairs, human trafficking, human rights issues and labor market reform.

Prior to that, she was a research analyst at the Dubai Gulf Research Center (GRC) in the Security and Terrorism Program. She contributed to research publications on Gulf security issues as well as articles for regional and international media.

As a researcher on security and terrorism studies at the GRC, Nusseibeh also edited the Security and Terrorism Research Bulletin, a quarterly publication produced in both English and Arabic tackling key security and terrorism issues in the Gulf.

Her research interests focus on regional security and strategic affairs with particular emphasis on “The Gulf as a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone Project,” which the GRC launched in December 2004.

Before joining the GRC, Nusseibeh worked at UNESCO in Paris as a consultant. She has also worked for the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CABU) in the UK, where she wrote briefs and reports for MPs regarding British foreign policy in the Middle East.

She received her BA and MA in History from Cambridge University. Nusseibeh also completed research on Israel, Zionist ideology and the evolution of the Israeli political system. Her second MA thesis at SOAS focused on the political and ideological relationship between the Christian Right in the United States and Israel for which she was awarded a Distinction.

She has several published articles and research papers, including:

“Palestinian crisis demands proactive GCC role” -- Article, December 6, 2004.

“The Year that was – Qatar 2004” -- Research Paper, February 1, 2005.

“Iran has Bush to thank for its growing power” – Article, Daily Star, Qatar Peninsular, August 29, 2005.

“Defusing Iran’s nuclear issue” -- Article, October 30, 2005, Daily Star, Arab Times.

Nusseibeh has also published a book, “Gulf States: Counterterrorism -- Laws and Treaties,” co-authored with Mustafa Alani and Farida Al Ajamy.

This Ramadan: Dress 1 million children!

When His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launches an initiative, the world takes note!

Sheikh Mo -- as we affectionately refer to the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai -- launched the Dress 1 Million Needy Children campaign on the second day of the Holy Month of Ramadan (July 11).

This is in keeping with the spirit of giving and sharing that takes over the Emirates during the Holy Month and which is maybe less visible during the rest of the year.

Add caption

Sheikh Mo posted on his Facebook page: “Today we launched #Dress1MillionNeedyChildren campaign to make the needy children happier around the world. Giving joy and support to 1 million children is our mission for this Ramadan. I invite everyone to be part of this campaign, and remember that the more we give, the more we get back. Children are the most helpless in disasters and conflicts, and we will do our best to help them. Dubai Cares’ achievements in supporting 8 million children gave us confidence to begin our new campaign today. Giving is a deeply rooted value in our religion, and the UAE has built its foundation on that basis.”

The campaign embodies the true meaning of giving and the ideals the Holy Month of Ramadan upholds, including generosity, benevolence and extending a helping hand to those less fortunate.

During Ramadan, most mosques put out iftars for breaking the fast at dusk (see Ramadan in Dubai), organizations distribute food to workers and the needy, others line main roads to offer drivers late in getting home dates and water, local residents give away food and have queues in front of their villas…

Of course, there is a lot of waste in hotels and restaurants and even in homes, but reminders are always going out to avoid this. There is a number to call to arrange pickup and delivery of excess food.

Photo via Hesham G. Ahmed on Facebook

One supermarket is even offering free grocery items!

The objective of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dress 1 Million Needy Children Around the World campaign is to promote the concept of giving and generosity during Ramadan and to provide UAE citizens and residents with the opportunity to partake in a distinctive humanitarian initiative.

The campaign will work on collecting donations in coordination with the UAE Red Crescent Authority and telecoms operators du and Etisalat.

In the first two days of the Dress 1 Million Children, 75,000 were already taken care of thanks to an AED 3 million donation by telecom company du in support of Sheikh Mo’s initiative.

The campaign needs AED 40 million to cloth all one million of the world’s desperate children at the cost of AED 40 per outfit.

Distribution by the UAE Red Crescent in Bosnia...

and in Yemen

The UAE Red Crescent has already started distributing clothes to 10,000 Bosnian children, as well as in Yemen, as part of the campaign that can be monitored on Facebook.

Donations towards the campaign can be made by SMS, by bank transfer into one of the UAE Red Crescent bank accounts, or by visiting UAE Red Crescent Authority fundraising booths located around the UAE and its main website.

To contribute to “Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dress 1 Million Needy Children” campaign by SMS, send the word “dress” to the following numbers (du and Etisalat):

• 7040 to donate AED 40 and dress 1 child
• 7160 to donate AED 160 and dress 4 children
• 7240 to donate AED 240 and dress 6 children
• 7400 to donate AED 400 and dress 10 children

In addition, contributions can be made via bank transfers to UAE Red Crescent bank accounts.

The campaign runs until 19 Ramadan (July 27).

Countries benefiting from this campaign were selected in close coordination with the UAE Red Crescent Authority. They were chosen based on humanitarian situation reports as well as the number of needy children in that country.

The campaign is limited to children outside the UAE as there are many local charity organizations, such as the UAE Red Crescent Authority, that provide other initiatives to local needy children.

The AED 40 cost of dressing one child was calculated and determined in coordination with the UAE Red Crescent Authority and in keeping with the suitable value and quality provided by charity organizations that provide clothing for needy children.

Donations are monetary only since collection, shipment and distribution of actual clothing material to beneficiaries can be difficult and costly.

The campaign was organized in coordination with the Red Crescent Authority precisely to make sure the donations arrive on time and to the right children who are in need. It has qualified experience in this type of campaign and has offices and representatives in many countries with children in need.

Dressing 1 million children starts with 1! Let’s make this happen.

Al Jalila gives Sheikh Mohammed 'a stare'

Sheikha Al Jalila and Sheikh Mo at yesterday's inauguration of the Al Jalila Foundation

Oops! What has he done or said now!

That seems to be the exasperated expression on the face of Sheikha Al Jalila as she lovingly takes a wide-eyed gaze at her father, Sheikh Mo – as we lovingly refer to HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

The photo by WAM, the Emirates news agency, was taken at the inauguration of the Al Jalila Foundation at Dubai Healthcare City on Monday, April 1.

The non-profit organization was established last November. It aims to promote the UAE as a center of excellence in medical treatment, education and research. Other than funding medical scholarships and researchers, the foundation hopes to publish scientific papers and journals and sponsor medical conferences in collaboration with regional and international institutes.

How Sheikha Al Jalila, born on December 2, 2007, has grown!

I last featured Sheikh Al Jalila at Mich Café two years ago in the arms of her father at the March 2011 Dubai World Cup.

Princess Haya with Prince Mohammed and Sheikha Al Jalila with Sheikh Mo

The black and white photograph on the left was taken some 35 years earlier at the Zahran Palace grounds in Amman.

It shows Jordan's Prince Mohammed holding none other than the mother of Sheikha Al Jalila, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein.

I was much honored when I was invited to cover the 15 June 1978 wedding of the late King Hussein of Jordan to Lisa Halaby, now Queen Noor.

I saw Sheikh Mo holding Sheikha Al Jalila on TV that night at the Dubai World Cup and it immediately reminded me of the 1978 photo of her mother in the arms of her uncle. It took me some time to find, but I did in the coverage of the wedding in Monday Morning, the Beirut English-language magazine I worked for at the time.

Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya, who married in 2004, were also blessed with a baby boy on 7 January 2012.

“Princess Haya and I were blessed with a baby boy… We named him ‘Zayed’,” is how Sheikh Mo welcomed the arrival of their second child on Facebook on the same day.

Baby Sheikh Zayed is named after the founding father of the UAE, HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004), very much loved, respected and admired by the people of the Emirates and the international community.

Related posts:

Dubai sheikha's likeness to her mom – April 7, 2011

Dubai bird to sing Zayed's name  -- January 9, 2012

Dubai gets my vote for Expo 2020

They came. They saw. They heard. They spoke. They left…

We wait!

That’s for the decision on whether or not Dubai is chosen to host Expo 2020.

We wait, but not in silence, as all of us in the Emirates, nationals and expatriates, support Dubai’s bid to host the world showcase.

“Philosophically, politically, creatively, logistically, Dubai is already coming together to deliver a World Expo that will inspire all who experience it and live long in the collective memory,” the bid announces, and I can easily believe that.

I very much support Dubai Expo 2020 because I decided to move here seven years ago and be part of the dream of building and transforming the Emirates into a great Gulf/Arab nation-state.

Expo '67 in Montreal: The Dome, Habitat '67 and the Soviet pavilion

I also support the bid because I had the opportunity in 1970 to visit the site of Expo ’67 in Montreal. Although it was three years since the end of the world fair there, the site – newly created islands in the St. Lawrence River and the existing Île Sainte-Hélène -- was still a crowd-getter for all visitors to Montreal or Canada generally.

Of course, I couldn’t look up all 90 pavilions at Expo ’67, representing “Man and His World” themes, but I do remember touring the iconic U.S. pavilion – a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller; Habitat ‘67 modular housing complex designed by architect Moshe Safdie -- and the sought-after Soviet pavilion, which pulled some 13 million visitors. Sadly, I can’t find my photos!

But back to Dubai, where a delegation from the International Exhibitions Bureau (IEB) dropped by last week to assess the emirate’s bid.

Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Turkey are also vying to host Expo 2020. The winner will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 163 IEB member nations.

Steen Christiansen meets with Sheikh Mo

The Enquiry Mission, headed by Steen Christiansen, chairman of the IEB Executive Committee, met with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on February 26.

Sheikh Mo tweets his confidence in the UAE Expo 2020 bid

Sheikh Mo (as we affectionately call him) said he “shared with the delegation our president's welcome message and his personal support for the UAE to win the bid to host the exhibition. I am confident the UAE has what it takes to host the biggest event in the history of Expo in 2020 and to impress the rest of the world.”

Christiansen said: “We have had a productive and enjoyable visit to the UAE and thank the leadership for their hospitality. We have been particularly impressed by the country’s robust infrastructure and the level of national support for the bid.”

The mission’s four-day visit was to assess the UAE’s aptitude for welcoming 25 million would-be visitors, of which 70 percent would come from abroad for the first time in World Expo history.

The IEB press conference on February 28 (Gulf News)

“We have been particularly impressed by the country’s robust infrastructure and the level of national support for the bid. The UAE has put forward a strong case to hold Expo 2020 in Dubai -- the vision of the project is clear and lined to the traditions and values of World Expos,” Christensen said.

After visiting Russia and Brazil, the IEB Enquiry Mission will prepare a report detailing their recommendation to the member states.

Gulf News gave 14 reasons, among many, why Dubai should win the Expo 2020 bid:

1. Dubai and the UAE have a ready platform of airports, ports and road transport systems.
2. Dubai’s strategic global location between the East and the West makes it the most sought-after destination for the Expo.
3. There are approximately 200 nationalities living in the UAE, making the country truly global.
4. The proposed Expo site, Dubai Trade Center in Jebel Ali, is situated next to the new Dubai World Central -- home to Al Maktoum International Airport, and is equidistant between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
5. The site, spanning 438 hectares, is located adjacent to Jebel Ali Port, providing easy access to the 25 million international and local visitors expected.
6. Dubai’s two airports -- Dubai International and DWC-Al-Maktoum International -- are best geared to handle the Expo traffic in 2020.
7. Dubai International will be the world’s busiest airport by 2020 in terms of passenger throughput.
8. Dubai Logistics City is part of a single customs-bonded free zone linked to Jebel Ali Port, the sixth largest in the world, and the Jebel Ali Free Zone, home to more than 6,400 companies.
9. Dubai had around 15 million tourists last year, while Abu Dhabi managed to attract 2 million. And the number is only set to grow with each passing year.
10. The hotel supply in the UAE is expected to increase at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.3 percent from 96,992 hotel rooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 125,383 hotel rooms in the two emirates by 2016. And a successful 2020 Expo bid will increase that.
11. Today it does not take business owners more than three days to start up their businesses officially in Dubai.
12. By 2020, the emirate will be able to offer enough transport links to accommodate about 25 million visitors for Expo 2020.
13. The mass-transit options for Expo 2020 will include zero-emission buses, new Metro stations and dedicated lanes on key arterial roads to take visitors to the planned site at Dubai Trade Center -- Jebel Ali.
14. Both Dubai and the UAE are dynamic and multicultural destinations capable of giving the world an exciting and dynamic event.

The IEB, an intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions, was established in Paris in 1928 with two goals:

• to oversee the calendar, the bidding, the selection and the organization of World Expositions; and
• to establish a regulatory framework under which Expo organizers and participants may work together under the best conditions.

The USA had its membership of the IEB withdrawn in June 2001 due to Congress not allocating membership funds for two years.

Since the start of the 21st century, Universal Expos occur every five years, lasting six months, on “5” and “0” ending years, i.e. Expo 2010 in Shanghai, Expo 2015 in Milan.

Expos average at least 200,000 visitors per day and some 50 to 70 million visitors during their six-month duration. Montreal's Expo ‘67 attracted 54 million visitors; Osaka’s Expo ’70, 64 million; Seville Expo '92, 41 million; and Shanghai's Expo 2010, 70 million visitors.

Dubai’s theme

“Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” is the theme for the UAE’s Expo bid.

In today’s highly interconnected world, “a renewed vision of progress and development based on shared purpose and commitment is key. While a single human mind, an individual country, or a specific community is both unique and remarkable, it is by working collaboratively that we truly advance. Dubai Expo 2020 will be a platform for connectivity to help pioneer new partnerships for growth and sustainability for the future,” Dubai’s Expo 2020 site writes.

The UAE is logistically ready to host a World Expo. Two thirds of the world’s population now lives within an eight-hour flight of Dubai. Just fewer than nine million visitors made the trip here last year. Some 80,000-plus hotel rooms will keep visitors comfortable during their stay for the Expo. Unrivalled connectivity, superb logistics and world-class infrastructure are at the heart of our bid.

Last year alone, more than 51 million passengers travelled through Dubai International Airport, where 150 airlines serve 220 destinations on six continents. Dubai Airport is now poised to be the world’s busiest international airport by 2015.

Hallmark events

World Expos are “the hallmark events of a world aspiring to strengthen its connections, celebrate its cultural diversity and marvel at its technological wonders.” Each one is a catalyst for economic, cultural and social transformation and generates important legacies for the host city and nation.

The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in 1851

The best-known first World Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations." The Great Exhibition, as it is often called, was an idea of Prince Albert, Queen Victory’s husband. It is considered as the first international exhibition of manufactured products. It influenced the development of several aspects of society, including art-and-design education, international trade and relations, and tourism.

Dubai can boast to have many strengths and advantages to see its bid succeed. And in addition to those listed above, I would add security, good weather and hospitality. What would you add?

I can’t wait to hear the result in November.