Saudi Arabia has officially submitted a bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) CEO Fahd Al-Rasheed submitting the Kingdom’s bid while addressing a virtual gathering of 170 member countries assembled to kickstart the five-stage bidding process that will conclude with voting in November 2023.
According to the local english daily Saudi Gazette, the Kingdom’s dossier submission came in its participation in the virtual meeting of the Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) General Assembly, which was held Tuesday in Paris.
Saudi Arabia has four rivals to fend off in hopes of securing the bid: South Korea, Italy, the Ukraine, and Russia are in the running for the six-month long event organized by the BIE.
“The 2030 World Expo in Riyadh will coincide with the culmination of Vision 2030, and it will be an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the achievements of the Vision and share valuable lessons from this unprecedented transformation,” Al-Rasheed said in announcing the plan.
The first World’s Fair, as it was known during that time, began in 1851 when London hosted the “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations,” with 34 countries participating. The World Expo is now a multifaceted event, bringing together innovation, culture, technology, and entertainment.
“Riyadh will be the perfect manifestation of what the world expo aims to achieve, to bring together the world’s best minds, ideas and solutions in order to continue humanity’s path for progress,” Al-Rasheed said.
According to Arab News, after taking member nations on a virtual tour of Saudi Arabia, Al-Rasheed said, “as you can see, Saudi Arabia is not just a G20 country. It has natural resources, environmental diversity, ambitious youth, wise leadership, and a great vision. By 2030, Riyadh will be a prosperous and sustainable city for the future and the preferred destination for talent and companies.”
