Russia submitted application profile for EXPO-2020

05.12.2012 — News

SVERDLOVSK REGION

Ekaterinburg has put together its application profile for hosting the universal global EXPO-2020 exhibition in 2020. The profile was officially submitted to the Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE).

The regional government told RusBusinessNews that the profile describes the concept of the exhibition, its organization plan, feasibility study, and review of infrastructure which will enable reception and ensure security of guests, as well as a range of environment protection measures.

Submitting its application for hosting EXPO-2020, Ekaterinburg has some serious advantages over its competitors. Most of the facilities that will be needed for the exhibition are scheduled to be completed in time for football's World Cup, which will be held in Russia in 2018. Ekaterinburg will be one of the cities hosting that sports championship. Projects that require tens of millions of dollars in investment will materialize thanks to public-private partnerships.

Ekaterinburg is prepared to allocate over 500 hectares for the grounds of the EXPO, where the exhibition area, multistory buildings, parking lots, an amusement park, EXPO museum, and EXPO Arena will be built. By 2018, the Ekaterinburg-Passazhirsky railway station will be renovated and the rail terminal modernized. There are plans to construct a second metro line in this major city with a population of over a million residents, as well as introduce an automated system of traffic control. Ekaterinburg's Koltsovo airport is currently one of Russia's leading aviation hubs, receiving the major types of aircraft from across the globe.

Apart from Ekaterinburg, bids for hosting EXPO-2020 were also submitted by Izmir (Turkey), Ayutthaya (Thailand), Dubai (UAE), and Sao Paulo (Brazil). The BIE inspectors will visit the cities in Q1 2013. One of these five candidates will be chosen as the winning city in November next year.