In response to the United Arab Emirates’ proposal to delay Expo 2020 Dubai until 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic; the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has approved the request after surpassing the required threshold of two-thirds majority vote of BIE Member States as stipulated by Article 28 of the 1928 Paris Convention. The General Assembly of the BIE began voting remotely on 24 April, based on the proposal of the Executive Committee, and will continue until 29 May. Austria, as a participating country, joins and supports the postponement decision and remains committed to delivering an experience like no other at Expo 2020 Dubai despite the delay.

With this decision in place, Expo 2020 Dubai will be postponed for a year and it will be held from the 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022. Austria sees the delay as the right response to the situation the world is facing nowadays which is endangering the health and safety of many people on the global level. “Organising an international and successful event would require stability, freedom of movement and safety which unfortunately the world is currently missing due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus,” Beatrix Karl, Commissioner General of the Austria Pavilion explained. “We look at the decision of postponing Expo 2020 Dubai for one year as the collaborative and supportive response that shows global solidarity amid the uncertainty and risks everyone is facing nowadays,” Karl continued.

In October 2019, Austria inaugurated the construction of its cone-ensembled pavilion inspired by both Arabic and Austrian building tradition. Later, in early 2020, stage one of the construction was complete and the first cone was erected with a diameter of seven meters at the base and stretching up toward the sky. With the postponement in place, the construction plan of the Austrian pavilion will continue, but in two main phases. During phase one, Austria will proceed with the construction of its pavilion under the United Arab Emirate authorities’ health and safety rules for construction sites in Dubai. The Austria Pavilion is expected to finish the erection of the 38 cones by mid-May, while phase two will start at a later date where the loam rendering on the inside of the cones, along with the remaining interior finishing, will be resumed.

Austria joins the efforts of Expo 2020 Dubai’s organisers to showcase the best humanity has to offer and spur meaningful, positive change. “We are still committed to this vision despite the current challenges, and we are sure that, along with our partners, we will continue the preparations toward achieving that goal,” Karl elaborated. Austria has chosen the district of Opportunity to present its innovations and solutions during the Expo period, and the one-year delay is seen as another incentive to build on Expo Austria’s existing ideas, present a more inspiring calendar, connect East and West by bringing better technologies and sustainable practices and to present Austria’s future technologies to today’s humanity. “We are stronger together and we are confident that as the world unites to overcome these adverse circumstances, humanity will rise stronger to have a brighter future. We look forward to being present at Expo 2020 Dubai next year,” the Commissioner General added.