Paris. France — The candidature of Saudi Arabia (for Riyadh), South Korea (Busan) and Italy (Rome) for World Expo 2030 would be decided in an election in November this year, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) said on Tuesday.
At the 172nd General Assembly of the BIE on Tuesday, Member States were presented
with the findings of Enquiry Missions carried out by the BIE to assess the candidature
projects for World Expo 2030.
Following this, Member States voted to retain the three projects that were considered by the Executive Committee of the BIE to be viable and in line with BIE regulations, BIE said in a statement.
In November 2023, during the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE, Members States will elect
the host country of World Expo 2030 via secret ballot on the principle of one country, one
vote.
Enquiry Missions for World Expo 2030 took place in March and April 2023. During each
Enquiry Mission, BIE representatives looked into all aspects of the Expo projects. Using the
candidature dossiers submitted to the BIE on 7 September 2022 as a guide, each Enquiry
Mission assessed the motivations behind the Expo candidature, the attractiveness of the
proposed Expo theme, the proposed site and its planned re-use after the Expo, levels of
local and national support for the project, expected participation, and the financial
feasibility plan.
The Republic of Korea’s candidature is for a World Expo in the city of Busan between 1 May
and 31 October 2030 under the theme “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better
Future”.
Italy’s candidature is for a World Expo in the city of Rome between 1 May and 31 October
2030 under the theme “People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation”.
Saudi Arabia’s candidature is for a World Expo in the city of Riyadh between 1 October 2030
and 31 March 2031 under the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted
Tomorrow”.
World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings
of nations addressing universal challenges of our time. Taking place every five years and lasting up to six months, World Expos welcome tens of millions of visitors, allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions, and transform the host city for years to come.
The most recent World Expo, Expo 2020 Dubai, took place under the theme “Connecting
Minds, Creating the Future”, and received over 24 million visits. The next World Expo will
take place in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, between 13 April and 13 October 2025, under the theme
“Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.