Dubai wins Expo 2020. The world community reaffirmed its confidence in the UAE on Wednesday night, approving Dubai’s bid to host the World Expo 2020. Dubai won the bid in the third round of voting in Paris, beating Russian city Ekaterinburg.
8pm: A jubilant crowd hailed the announcement that Dubai made it to the round three, tightening the fight between Dubai and Yekaterinburg/Russia. Mall goers are glued to the screen in anticipation of the final announcement. One Emirati father, who’s watching the live coverage with his family, said his “heart is beating 5,000 times faster” because of excitement.
7.46pm: Dubai is now through to the third and final round where they face off against Russia. Turkey are out with 36 votes. the UAE’s performance has grown from strength to strength. They received 87 votes in the second round, an improvement of 10 votes. Russia received 41 votes and were up by two votes from their first round showing. Turkey are now out of the competition with 36 votes. There was one abstention.
The final round will determine the winner of the Expo 2020. Dubai can win with a simple majority.
7.31pm: Two thirds of the votes needed again to win in round 2, 110 out of 165. It’s difficult to see Dubai getting there in two rounds after getting 77 votes in round 1. But in round 3 all they need is more than 50%, or 83 votes. They already have 77…
7.20pm: Janice Ponce de Leon at Dubai Mall
Crowds cheered when they heard that Dubai made it on the first round of voting, garnering 77 votes.
Photo Gallery
Delegates watch the presentation film on the candidacy of Dubai, during a meeting at the OECD in Paris, Wednesday Nov. 27, 2013.
Four cities vie to host 2020 world’s fair
But residents will have to wait one hour more for the result of the second round of voting, keeping everyone in suspense.
“We’re excited about the Expo results. We’re from Kuwait and we want Dubai to win,” Dhari Al Muawed, an industrial engineer who is in Dubai for the Big 5, told Gulf News. “Another hour is going to be a long wait. But we’re excited.
7.08pm: UAE have made a srong showing in their first round with a total of 77 votes
Russia came in second place with 39 votes
Turkey got 33 votes and sao Paulo is out with 13 votes
The UAE now go into the second round with three nations taking part.
They got an big lead in the first round with a percentage of 47.24 votes.
7.02pm: Dubai has 77 first-round votes, putting it through to the second round. Sao Paolo, Brazil has been eliminated in the first round.
6.58pm: 163 nations have turned up so far. This is getting to be a good showing and obviously useful for the UAE.
6.51pm: 160 nations have now voted, more than the 155 they were expecting to turn up. The maximum expected is 168…
6.50pm: Voting has crossed past the 125 vote mark…the first round is going to end soon and votes will be compiled per country.
The order of voting is as follows
1. Brazil/Sao Paolo
2. Russia/Ekaterinburg
3. Turkey/Izmir
4. UAE/Dubai
5. Abstentions
Source : gulf News
