UAE National Day 2013 was a cause for celebration

A year on after Dubai’s victorious Expo 2020 win, residents across the UAE are still celebrating, YouGov survey finds.

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ABU DHABI // Residents had plenty of reasons to celebrate last National Day.

Days earlier, Dubai won Expo 2020, bringing home years of hard work and planning for staff at the centre of the campaign.

The event is part of a tradition of world fairs dating to the 1850s.

A year on and the emirate’s victory still makes people across the UAE proud. Of those questioned, the vast majority (85 per cent) believe the Expo 2020 win is good for the UAE’s image.

This is especially true for Emiratis and respondents residing in Abu Dhabi.

“The Expo 2020 is sure to have a good effect on the country and the people who live here,” says Zayed Al Falasi, a 31-year-old Emirati who works for the government and lives in Abu Dhabi.

“Others will come to know that UAE is much more than a desert.”

Citizens and residents hope that Expo 2020 will mean investment and opportunities for all, the survey says.

“The Expo 2020 will change things as it will be a great boost,” says Jamie Derit, 25, a Filipino, who has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past four years. “There will be more opportunities for Emiratis and expatriates, as companies will invest here.”

Jamal Iqbal, a 35-year-old creative director living in Dubai, agrees. “If the UAE is focused on planned growth and development not limited to real estate and tourism, Expo 2020 can mean increased self-sufficiency and a shift from import to production.”

Lara Al Barazi says the results show how the success of one emirate has a ripple effect on the others.

“This comes to prove the strong bond between all emirates, especially Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where Abu Dhabi residents clearly demonstrated that one emirate’s success is beneficial to the entire country,” she says.

jbell@thenational.ae

arizvi2@thenational.ae