Why Saudi Arabia is striving to host Expo 2030 
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman participated in the Kingdom’s recent official reception for Riyadh’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030.
The reception, which took place in Paris, was attended by 179 representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions, the organization responsible for World Expo.
The ceremony is part of the traditional nomination procedure to host the expo, which allows the countries competing to present their future hosting plans.
In the case of Riyadh, the reception aimed to showcase and demonstrate the capital’s readiness to host such an internationally esteemed event.
The reception, which was hosted by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, also aimed to portray Riyadh’s plans and projects to host the exhibition before the final vote to select the winning city at the next general assembly meeting in November.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Italy, South Korea and Ukraine are competing to host the expo.
World Expo is dedicated to finding solutions to the pressing challenges of our time by offering a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities.
The first World Expo, known as the Great Exhibition was held in London in 1851. Consequently, the expo became popular and was repeated across the globe to demonstrate an unparalleled power of attraction and a record of world-class legacies.
The most recent World Expo took place in Dubai from Oct. 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022. The next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Kansai, Japan from April 13 until Oct. 13, 2025.
The theme proposed by the Kingdom for Expo 2030 is “The Era of Change: Leading the Planet to a Foresighted Tomorrow.”
Fortunately, Expo 2030 would coincide with the culmination of Saudi Vision 2030, which is an excellent opportunity to educate 40 million expected visitors to the expo about the achievements of Saudi Vision 2030, in addition to 1 billion virtual followers by using metaverse technology for the first time in the history of expo.
I believe that hosting Expo 2030 in Riyadh is a great opportunity for the Kingdom to share its unprecedented economic and social transformation since the launch of its Vision 2030 on April 25, 2016, especially the historical and cultural depth of the Kingdom and its capital.
Also, it is an excellent opportunity to highlight Riyadh city’s political and economic presence, its distinctive geographical location, and outstanding infrastructure, all of which make it ready to host leading international events.
Finally, the exhibition will be a great opportunity for visitors to see the prominent landmarks and major projects of Riyadh, including Riyadh Sports Boulevard, King Salman Park, Diriyah Gate and Qiddiya Amusement Park.
• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. Twitter: @TalatHafiz
