Organisers of Dubai events evaluate next steps

Organisers of major events are re-evaluating their next steps this week, with the Dubai World Cup to be postponed to 2021 and the Expo 2020 Dubai to continue with sensible precautions and adjustments as required.

The Dubai World Cup, originally scheduled for 28 March, will be postponed to next year, organisers said in a statement on Sunday (22 March).

The main race, which features an eyewatering US$12 million in prize money, is held at Dubai’s state-of-the-art Meydan racecourse.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Expo 2020 global trade fair are expected to “reassess and adjust” preparations for the October event.

The event is expected to attract some 25 million visitors through the six month-long Expo.

"As we continue to prepare for this event, we will reassess and adjust planned preparations, as changing circumstances require," organisers said in a statement.

It will be “closely monitoring ongoing developments and taking all sensible precautions to manage and mitigate the risk to everyone involved in the Expo”.

Dubai, a popular destination that draws hundreds of conferences each year, has scrapped several cultural and entertainment events in recent weeks but has not announced any plans to postpone the much-anticipated Expo.

The United Arab Emirates has announced its first two deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, which has a total of 150 infections thus far.