Saudi Arabia wins bid to host World Expo 2030

Reuters/Ahmed Yosri

Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh, surpassing bids from Busan in South Korea and the Italian city of Rome.

A total of 119 countries endorsed Riyadh’s candidacy during the 173rd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) held in Paris, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

The World Expo 2030 in Riyadh will be held under the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow”, between October 1, 2030, and March 31, 2031.

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“Saudi Arabia has become an ideal destination for hosting major international events, including the esteemed World Expo,” Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying.

Foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullahe said the kingdom has allocated $348 million for a group of 100 eligible countries participating in the expo.

The BIE delegation visited the Saudi capital in March to evaluate Riyadh’s candidacy for World Expo 2030, viewing detailed presentations of the project and meeting with officials and key stakeholders involved in the candidature.

During the World Expo 2000 held in Hanover, Germany, the kingdom participated through the Islam Pavilion.

The kingdom’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai recorded the largest number of visits to the exhibition, hosting more than 4.8 million visitors.

The next World Expo, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, Japan, will take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.