UPS Joins with Expo 2020 Dubai as Official Logistics Partner

Expo 2020 Dubai has chosen leading global logistics firm UPS (NYSE: UPS) to handle the logistics operations for World Expo 2020 Dubai, which is expected to attract millions of visitors between its opening day on October 20, 2020 through April 10, 2021.

With more than 180 countries expected to participate and hundreds of thousands of visitors on peak days, the Expo will be one the most complex logistics projects UPS has tackled.

As Official Logistics Partner, UPS will provide more than 27,000 square meters of warehouse space, equivalent to four soccer fields, and a team of 1,000 employees during the Expo. The team will rely on expertise as logistics sponsor in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The partnership agreement was signed by his Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, and Jean-Francois Condamine, UPS President of the Indian Sub-continent, Middle East and Africa (ISMEA).

The Expo 2020 theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” provides a platform to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration globally. “Mobility is one of the key pillars of Expo 2020 Dubai”, said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed. “We see it as the bridge to opportunity by connecting people, goods and ideas and providing easier access to markets, knowledge and innovation. UPS will play a key role – not only during Expo 2020 Dubai but long after the doors close in 2021.”

Operating in the region since 1989, UPS will help establish Dubai as a transportation hub for global commerce connecting trade from the Middle East to China, Africa, Europe and the U.S.
“We plan to expand UPS’s presence in the region by establishing capacity, technology and staff capabilities to serve customers shipping to and through Dubai, long after the Expo concludes”, said David Abney, UPS Chairman and CEO.  “An undertaking of this scale and sophistication requires a next generation network that is smart, efficient, and integrated. We share a vision of what the logistics of tomorrow will look like.”

The United Arab Emirates is home to one of the world’s busiest airports, Dubai International, along with the port of Jebel Ali, the largest container port outside the Far East.

Other Expo 2020 partnerships include Emirates Airlines, Accenture, Etisalat, DP World and SAP.  Dubai prepares to host the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

UPS in ISMEA (Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa)

UPS has been operating in the region since 1989, with its headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). ISMEA is the largest UPS region in terms of geography with UPS service available in over 70 active countries. The UAE is a high growth market as well as the global cornerstone for commerce in the region. UPS operates 27 UPS flights weekly – 16 of them connect the European Union and Asia through Dubai airport. UPS has been operating in the United Arab Emirates since 1995, and currently offers a broad portfolio of Express, Freight and Logistics services to customers.

About Expo 2020
Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. The global Expo aims to bring together hundreds of countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity: “Connecting Minds; Creating the Future.”

Millions of people are expected to visit the Expo between its opening day on October 20, 2020 and its close on April 10, 2021 – 70% of visitors expected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history.

The global Expo will have over 200 participants including nations, multilateral organizations, businesses and educational institutions. It also has an ambitious 30,000 volunteer program.  

The Expo site is located within the Dubai South District, adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport.