DUBAI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The site of the World Expo 2020 Dubai has been connected to the 5G network, Etisalat, a multinational telecommunications company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said Tuesday.

This makes the site of the Expo 2020 Etisalat's first major commercial customer of 5G network in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, the company said.

The 5G network is estimated to have a speed of around 20 times faster than the 4G, the statement said.

Dubai expects up to 25 million visitors to visit the Expo 2020 which will attract 200 participants.

The 5G initiative is part of the UAE government's plan, known as Smart Dubai, which aims to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the Middle East through promoting e-governance, connectivity, blockchain technology and the Internet of Things.

Expo 2020 will be held under the theme of "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future" from October 2020 to April 2021.

About 70 percent of the visitors to the expo are expected to come from abroad. The projects in the UAE linked to the event are worth 33 billion U.S. dollars, according to real estate research firm BNC Network.