Preparations for the mega Expo 2020 Dubai event are firmly on track, with Dh10.8 billion ($2.9 billion) worth of construction contracts already awarded this year besides the Dh411 million worth of non-construction contracts, said the event organisers during a dedicated Procurement Conference.  

Expo 2020 Dubai will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 and is expected to attract 25 million visits, with 70 per cent anticipated to come from outside the UAE.

Through its overall theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will be a platform to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration globally. It will be a celebration of ingenuity that gives people a glimpse into the future, guided by its three pillars: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, the organisers stated.

The conference was mainly organised to update companies on the progress made on the Expo 2020 projects besides offering a chance to meet members of Expo’s Procurement team.

It is the latest Expo initiative to work with businesses before 2020 by facilitating networking through opening its supply chain, encouraging interaction, exchanging ideas, sharing expertise and enabling companies including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to sell and deliver the best solutions.

These packages will be among a number of other opportunities made available by Expo 2020 Dubai in 2018, as it moves into the next stage of its delivery, focused on operational expenditure.

Other sectors that will offer procurement opportunities next year to companies of all sizes include design, logistics, health and safety, construction and construction materials.

The total number and value of these contracts will be announced in the coming months.

According to the organisers, the construction contracts will reach its target of Dh11 billion, after the awarding of urban planning and event overlay packages due to be finalised early next year.

Manal AlBayat, senior VP of Business Development and Integration at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: "This has been a significant year on the journey to Expo 2020 Dubai, and we are excited to continue our smooth progress into 2018, which will see us offer further opportunities to companies in the UAE and the wider region."

"The expo 2020 is committed to building a long-lasting and sustainable economic legacy not just for the UAE, but for the region, which is why events like the Procurement Conference are important to raise awareness of the opportunities for participation in Expo and to spread them as far as possible," she noted.

Sam Achampong, the regional head of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), who delivered a keynote presentation at the conference, said: "The Expo 2020 Dubai Procurement team have a unique opportunity to create a benchmark and template for the procurement of large scale events going forward."

“I am impressed with the meticulous preparation and levels of innovative thinking applied to Expo 2020 so far, and the early engagement with suppliers is to be applauded,” observed Achampong.

The one-day Procurement Conference also included a ceremony for the Expo 2020 Dubai Supplier of the Year Awards, which recognises companies that have gone above and beyond the expected level of service.

The five award winners were:
•Highest Performing SME: Zabeel Printing Press
•Highest Performing non-SME: Enova Facilities Management
•Transformational Award: Engage ME
•Innovation Award: Whoop
•Expo 2020 Dubai Appreciation Award: Shoot The Moon

The Procurement Conference was attended by representatives of more than 300 companies, including SMEs, which form an important part of the delivery and economic legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai.

To date, more than 50 per cent of the contracts awarded by Expo 2020 Dubai have gone to SMEs, said AlBayat.

By empowering and integrating SMEs into the Expo 2020 Dubai supply chain, Expo is ensuring that businesses of all sizes will reap the benefits, she added.-TradeArabia News Service