Expo 2020 Dubai certified as a sensory accessible event

Expo 2020 Dubai received international accreditation as a 'Sensory Accessible Event', thanks to its quiet rooms, tactile maps, audio output and braille.

The certification from the International Board of Sensory Accessibility was awarded on the eve of World Autism Awareness Day, which campaigns for the public to move beyond awareness of autism, to instead focus on acceptance of the condition.

The event was hosted in Terra - the Sustainability Pavilion, where guests took a low-sensory tour of the artworks by Emirati artists Asma Baker and Abdulla Lutfi, who are both on the autism spectrum.

Only when we accept and involve people of determination can we truly be inclusive

Expo 2020 is the first world expo and the first event in the region to receive sensory certification.

Dr Daniela Ferdico, co-founder and director of Sensory Access, congratulated the team for their commitment to making the event the most inclusive of its kind.

"Expo 2020 has taken huge steps towards providing accessibility to autistic and sensory sensitive individuals, whose invisible disabilities are often not considered, at an international event with global impact,” she said.

Among the measures introduced to cater to those with sensory difficulties, Expo offers four on-site quiet rooms for visitors experiencing sensory overload or anxiety.

Sensory information on visitor experiences at the event can also be downloaded from the Expo 2020 website, should visitors wish to check the sensory load beforehand.

‘Sunflower Lanyards’ will also be provided for those who wish to discreetly signal that they have a hidden disability.

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Expo 2020 has already announced several measures to help the disabled access the event's attractions more easily.

The People of Determination Platform (PODium) app, developed in collaboration with the software company SAP, was specifically designed to help people of determination navigate Expo, with features such as 3D visual mapping, audio navigation and haptic or touch feedback.

Other measures include 14 tactile maps with embossed images of the surrounding area, plus audio output and braille; 3D tactile models of Expo’s flagship architecture and scannable codes for self-guided experiences narrated through sign language, audio description and written captions.

Hearing induction loops, and service dog relief areas will also be available.

Accessibility will also be on the agenda during the Expo as part of 'Expo Talks: Tolerance and Inclusivity', a series of thematic programming that addresses key global issues.

Inclusivity is a key tenet for the team at the event, said Dr Jennifer Camulli, the manager for accessibility and inclusion.

“Expo 2020 Dubai has engaged with multiple community organisations since its early planning stages to introduce provisions that enable everyone to enjoy a safe, seamless and exceptional visitor experience," she said.

"As the first World Expo in the Arab world, we are proud that our measures meet IBSA standards, setting a new benchmark for sensory accessibility in the UAE and serving as a model for the Middle East and beyond.

“We celebrate this achievement on the eve of World Autism Awareness Day with those who share Expo’s belief that only when we accept and involve people of determination can we truly be inclusive," she said.

Expo 2020 has also committed to creating opportunities for the UAE’s people of determination, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development to create meaningful employment opportunities.

Tickets to Expo 2020 Dubai will be available free of charge for all people of determination, and at half price for their companion.

The event is due to start October, 1 2021, and will run until March, 31 2022.

Completed Expo 2020 pavilions

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Expo 2020 Dubai certified as a sensory accessible event

The accreditation supports Expo 2020's commitment to become most inclusive event of its kind ever

Expo 2020: themes of opportunity and mobility

Completed Expo 2020 pavilions

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