Bill Gates calls for action on sustainable goals during Expo visit

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has urged the world to speed up the implementation of its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Gates, who also holds the title of the world's fourth-richest man, was highlighting the point while touring Expo 2020 Dubai on Wednesday.

Speaking about the fight against COVID-19, he said the world was going through a "difficult stage" and "called for more efforts for a fair distribution of vaccines".

His visit holds significance as Expo 2020 Dubai and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined hands to "support grassroots innovators with the potential to improve the lives of people across a variety of complex, fragile or marginalised humanitarian settings".

Accompanied by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, Gates was introduced to the key projects of Expo Live, an exclusive programme that supports global innovators who develop low-cost solutions.

He also toured the Sustainability Pavilion and was briefed on the ‘Ideabatic’, a low-cost innovation that helps keep vaccines and life-saving medicines fresh during their journey to remote rural areas.