The United Arab Emirates Government has formally requested the postponement of World Expo 2020 Dubai in a letter to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Organisers of Expo 2020 Dubai have requested to have the event postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Scheduled to start in just over 200 days, Expo 2020 says due to the current “global situation” gripping the world, “it is clear that this is not the right time” to host the event.

MSC Cruises has announced that guests sailing aboard MSC Lirica from its homeport of Dubai next year will receive complimentary tickets to Expo 2020 Dubai. With 25 million visits expected to Dubai next year, Expo 2020 is undoubtedly the largest event ever staged in the Arab World. ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ is the main theme of the event and the expression of how innovation and progress are achieved when people and ideas come together in unique ways.