Saudi Arabia has presented its plan for hosting Expo 2030 to the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which is taking place in the French capital, Paris.
With a budget allocation of $7.8 billion and a theme of global togetherness it sets out a wide-ranging plan for the Expo 2030 event.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, chaired the Kingdom’s delegation.
If chosen, Riyadh will be ready to welcome 120 million visitors, officials said.
The kingdom is “uniquely positioned” to host the event, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan told the general assembly of the Bureau International Des Expositions – the organisation responsible for the World Expo – at the presentation of Riyadh’s bid in Paris.
A vote will be held in November to choose the host country.
“Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge connecting North and South, East and West,” said Prince Faisal, citing the kingdom’s regional and global position.
Ibrahim Al Sultan, chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh, said the city plans to host more than 120 million people in 2030, if the bid is successful.
Preparations to host the event would be complete by 2028, he added.
“We are ready to move forward immediately,” said Mr Al Sultan.
Riyadh is up against the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, Italy’s capital Rome and South Korean port city Busan to secure Expo 2030.
The UAE was the first country in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region to hold the world’s fair when it hosted Expo 2020 Dubai.
The event opened in October 2021 – having been delayed by the pandemic – and attracted more than 24 million visits in its six-month run.