Dubai has beaten off opposition from Brazil, Russia and Turkey to win the right to host the 2020 World Expo.
The Gulf city beat Russia's Ekaterinberg in the final round of voting on Wednesday to clinch a prestigious event that is credited with delivering a huge boost to tourism and business in the host city.
Dubai, the economic and transport hub of The United Arab Emirates, won 116 votes in the third round, comfortably beating Ekaterinberg with 47. There was one abstention.
The four candidate cities, which also included Brazil's Sao Paulo and Turkey's Izmir, had pulled out all the stops during 20 minute presentations before voting by the 168 member states of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), which oversees the organisation of the events.
The Emirates kicked off the presentations by pitching Dubai as a futuristic, glitzy city.
Emirates minister Reem Al Hashimi told the meeting that Dubai was a city "capable of hosting the world" and promised visitors an "unforgettable experience" if it won the bid.
The victory for Dubai - home to the world's tallest tower, largest man-made island and one of the world's busiest airports - means the World Expo will be hosted by an Arab country for the first time.
According to UAE officials, 40 per cent of the estimated 227,000 new jobs expected to be created as a result of Expo will be in the tourism and travel sectors.
The site chosen for the event, is spread over 438 hectares and located between the international airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates.
The World Expo, a modern-day successor to the Great Exhibitions of the 19th and early 20th centuries, showcases technology, architecture and culture.
Shanghai was the last host city and Milan is next in line in 2015.
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