RIYADH: Saudi authorities homed in on the notions of prosperity for all, climate action, and a different tomorrow as the main drivers of their ambitious bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh, the theme for which is “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.”
“We in the Kingdom are working to achieve this vision in order to reach a prosperous and sustainable future,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during the 172nd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris in June.
“Riyadh’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 captures that vision, guided by the theme of together for a foresighted tomorrow.”
In keeping with the stated theme of the event, the Riyadh Expo website invites the world to “imagine a different future and what actions we take today to shape a prosperous and sustainable tomorrow.”
Riyadh is competing with Rome and Busan to host Expo 2030, with the winning bid due to be announced during the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE in November.
As part of the grand Saudi vision for the event, three pavilions will be created to showcase each of its main themes. Riyadh aims to “reinforce action on globally impactful projects and to collaborate on global solutions to shared challenges, through innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness,” Prince Faisal said.
As a part of its mission to host an “inclusive” expo that promotes prosperity for all, the minister said the Kingdom will provide a $343 million assistance program for 100 eligible countries to ensure the event features the most diverse range of nations and cultures at an expo to date. The financial assistance will used to fund construction and maintenance of nations’ pavilions, and the use of technology, among other things.
The Expo Riyadh proposal has a total budget of $7.8 billion, and if the bid is successful work on the site will begin immediately, with the spaces for participating nations available by 2028.
During her speech at the BIE gathering in June, Riyadh Expo Masterplan team member Lamia Al-Muhanna said the aim is to “enable the full, equal and meaningful participation of all countries” at the event, and that sustainability will a defining feature of the construction and legacy of the Expo site.
The Kingdom has also committed to helping the 100 qualifying nations create a second life for their pavilions when the expo ends, so that they can be used as schools, clinics or research centers in their home countries.
Nouf Al-Moneef, also a member of the Riyadh Expo Masterplan team, said that as a part of its focus on climate action, the Kingdom aims to ensure the event is the first carbon-negative expo. To achieve this, it will be powered by clean energy provided by solar power plants in the Kingdom. It will also promote biodiversity, work to eliminate food waste, and ensure the green management and recycling of waste.
“The principles of equality, inclusion and sustainability will also be enshrined in our landmark,” Al-Moneef said. “If the surface of the Earth was equally divided among all human beings, we would each be responsible for 238 square meters.”
If selected to host the expo, it is estimated that Riyadh will welcome about 40 million in-person visitors to the 6 million square meter site and about 1 billion through the metaverse. About 246 nations, international organizations and other entities are expected to participate. The chosen expo site is located in northern Riyadh, about a 10-minute drive from King Khalid International Airport, and is served by a Metro station.
The successful bid will be announced in November following a vote by BIE member countries.
