Japanese vehicle manufacturer, Nissan, has been selected as the official automotive partner of Expo 2020 Dubai.
As official automotive partner, the company will supply the mega event with a 1,000-strong fleet, including electric vehicles.
The vehicles will reportedly range from sedans and SUVs to pick-up trucks and buses, and will be used for a number of purposes, including construction, VIP visits, and transport for participants and organisers.
Making the announcement at a press conference held at the Expo site, Manal AlBayat, senior vice president of business development and integration at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “[Expo 2020 Dubai’s] overarching theme is ‘connecting minds, creating the future’. And we have three sub-themes, [which are] opportunity, mobility, and sustainability.
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“When we talk about our subthemes, we rarely talk about them in isolation. So when we talk about mobility, we know that it’s the bridge to opportunity; it’s building connections between people and resources, and creating and opening windows for possibilities.”
She continued: “And when we talk about sustainability, we know that it’s always been at the forefront of mobility, prompting questions of how. How to transport people, goods, and services from around the world at an increasing rate without impacting our environment?
“At Expo 2020 Dubai, we want to find solutions to these challenges, and we want to showcase these solutions in physical and digital ways at our site to help meet the growing needs for global connections.
“One of our key focusses is showcasing optimum transport systems and modes to move people from one place to another, anywhere around the world. And to do that we have chosen a partner, which is a world-class company that brings with it extensive experience in helping to deliver major global events and has already played an integral role in the growth of the UAE’s mobility and automotive sector for over 67 years. Expo 2020 Dubai is proud to have Nissan as our official automotive partner.”
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According to Nissan, it will also provide support for the fleet, including maintenance, roadside assistance, insurance, and Expo 2020 fleet branding.
Kalyana Sivagnanam, president for the Middle East and regional vice president for Africa, Middle East and India at Nissan, commented: “Nissan’s appointment as the official automotive partner of Expo 2020 Dubai is testament to our shared vision: to shape the future of mobility and enhance the lives of people around the world through innovation.
“The long-term alliance also reflects our commitment to supporting the nation’s aspirations of being a global role model for innovative mobility. We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Expo 2020 Dubai as we focus on revolutionising the mobility sector through our vehicle line-up.”
In addition to announcing the Nissan and Expo 2020 Dubai partnership, the event saw the vehicle manufacturer unveil Nissan Leaf, the second generation of its electric car, for the first time in the Middle East.
Nissan revealed that Expo 2020 will be the first Middle East organisation to use the car.
“As sustainable transport continues to be a key goal within the UAE Vision 2021, Nissan is playing a role in advancing the development of this sector. The new, zero-emission Nissan Leaf embodies ‘Nissan Intelligent Mobility’ – our approach to changing the way cars are driven, powered, and integrated into society. Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility vision also ties into the UAE government’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions and promote the growth of electric vehicles across the nation,” Sivagnanam added.
