Dubai Expo 2020 is looking for 30,000 Volunteers

Seven thousand volunteers have already been registered to be a part of the Expo 2020 experience in Dubai. But with 23,000 additional spots still available, the newly-opened House of Volunteers is now welcoming hopeful applicants to take part in a short interview to become part of the team.

Inaugurated by Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, the House of Volunteers (located on the Dubai Expo 2020 site), will now act as the dedicated hub for recruiting volunteers.

If you want to become part of the Expo 2020 team, all you have to do is register an application at volunteers.ae. If successful, you will then be called forward for a "casual and friendly"20-minute interview.

The criteria are simple too; you just have to be 18 or over. No skills or qualifications needed. The hours are flexible too.

With an aim to recruit 30,000 volunteers before and during the Expo in 2020, that means about 23,000 additional spots are still up for grabs.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on Monday, Abeer, Head of Volunteers, Expo 2020 Dubai said the interview process to become a volunteer will be quick and easy.

"We will have 15 dedicated interview hubs within the House of Volunteers and hopeful participants will go through just one interview before being selected to become a volunteer."

To meet the 30,000 targets, she said: "up to 260 new recruits can be interviewed in any one day".

"Interviews will last just 15 minutes and will be very casual and friendly, more of a 'get to know you' discussion than an interview."

In terms of hours required by a volunteer in the run-up to and during the Expo, Al Hosani told there is a "maximum and minimum" number in place.

"Because we are targeting everyone, homemakers, students, we need flexibility. We need to make sure different shift options are in place. Right now, the minimum is four hours per day, the average is eight hours, and the maximum is 12 hours per shift. Volunteers will dedicate an average of 14 shifts per month and over the full six-month duration they will work a maximum of two months."

She added that the team is currently in talks with Human Resource departments and Government departments to ensure time off is given to successful applicants so everyone gets the opportunity to be part of the once in a lifetime experience.

Calling volunteers a fundamental part of the Expo, Al Hosani said what they are looking for in participants is personal skills.

"We want them to inculcate five values: be respectful; committed; knowledgeable; energetic and just be yourself."

After inaugurating the centre, Al Hashimy said the House of Volunteers is a space that aims to aspire to encourage the initiative at the individual and community level.

"By providing leadership and formal training, our programme will identify and develop capacities for our volunteers, contributing their time and knowledge to visitors of the Expo 2020."