December 11, 2013. Head of Yekaterinburg Administration Alexander Yakob thanked the residents of the city for their support in the competition for the right to host the World Universal Exhibition EXPO 2020, the official city portal states.

‘In the course of this two-year-long challenging and strenuous competition, Yekaterinburg outstripped some very strong rivals and was only beaten by Dubai in the final round. The city’s application campaign was carried out on a great level primarily because the idea of holding the World Exhibition was supported by both country leaders and the city residents as well as representatives of the professional and business community,’ Yakob said.

The head of the city administration says everyone hoped Yekaterinburg would win, and, despite the defeat, the city gained the experience that will come in handy in the future. Numerous foreign delegations visited the city in the course of the application campaign, and the city awareness grew tremendously.

Yakob feels that the locals taking part in promoting the city’s positive image allowed Yekaterinburg to enter a new stage of economic and cultural interaction with the world’s major centers. This is expected to become a crucial developmental factor for Yekaterinburg over the nearest decade.