Dubai Expo 2020 to invest $75m in landscaping

Dubai is investing more than $75m (Dhs277m) in landscaping and irrigation for Expo 2020, according to a report carried by Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Taleb Abdulkareem Jilfar, executive director of the Infrastructure Services Division at the Dubai Municipality, told WAM up to 863,117 plants had already been delivered.

An area of about 3.57 square kilometres is expected to be ready before the official launch of Expo 2020 in October 2020, he said.

The 4.38 square-kilometre Expo 2020 site would also have a nursery measuring about 220,000 square metres, WAM quoted Ahmed Al Khateeb, CEO of Development and Real Estate Development at Expo 2020 Dubai, as saying.

He said the nursery would have about 12,157 trees (including palm trees), more than 256,000 shrubs, and thousands of flowering plants and herbs. The landscaping is being carried out in cooperation with Dubai Municipality.

The plants would be either indigenous to Dubai or adaptable to the environment, and cared for using the latest sustainable technologies, such as solar power, said Al Khateeb.

“The Expo will not only feature buildings and pavilions that will impress visitors, but also trails, fountains and parks that will capture their attention, as well as the Al Wasl Dome, which will serve as a giant screen.”

In May, Al Khateeb told Reuters that all major projects related to Expo 2020 were on track for completion by the end of 2019.

Last Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Expo 2020 site to inspect progress.

The six-month long event, which opens its doors on October 20, 2020, features pavilions representing 195 countries. Scheduled to run until April 21, 2021, more than 25 million visits are expected.