Riyadh, Saudi Arabia–Namibia has voiced its support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
This was announced by Dr. Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, the presidential press secretary to the President of Namibia Hage G. Geingob following his meeting with the Saudi advisor at the royal court Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Qattan, currently on a visit to Namibia.
Dr. Alfredo Hengari further said that this support is a reflection of the relations between the two countries.
Qattan expressed the Saudi government’s appreciation for this support, citing the solid bilateral relations between the Kingdom and Namibia.
In March this year, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Secretary General said at the end of his evaluation visit to Riyadh that Saudi Arabia has presented a ‘strong’ case to host World Expo 2030.
The BIE’s team had visited the kingdom to evaluate its proposal to host the Expo.
During its stay in Riyadh, the delegation met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and held meetings with several ministers and officials who explained more about the kingdom’s candidacy.
The delegation also visited the proposed Riyadh Expo 2030 site and was introduced to the high-tech public transport system that is at the heart of the city’s infrastructure plan.
“There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia and Riyadh have everything needed to host the successful Expo,” Dimitri Kerkentzes said at the end of the visit during a news conference.
Kerkentzes said that the development Riyadh is witnessing plays an important role in making Saudi Arabia a competitive candidate for Expo. He noted that the expansion of the city’s infrastructure is an essential element “which perfectly serves the needs of such an Expo” should the Kingdom be chosen.
Saudi Arabia officially submitted its comprehensive application file in a bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh in September 2022.
The Kingdom aims to host the World Expo in Riyadh from October 1, 2030 till March 31, 2031 under the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.”
Starting with Saudi Arabia, the mission will visit the three other candidates competing to organize the Expo including Ukraine, Republic of Korea, and Italy, according to BIE’s website.
The examination phase is a must for each of the four candidate countries to be considered for election.
The host country of World Expo 2030 will be elected by BIE member states, through a secret ballot, on the principle of one country, one vote during the BIE General Assembly in November 2023.
For his part, the CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed thanked the mission for its efforts and underscored the Kingdom’s readiness to host the World Expo.
“Our candidacy is strong, as we have met all technical requirements, and have garnered unprecedented international support to host the Riyadh Expo 2030,” al-Rasheed said.
“We will present an exceptional edition of the Riyadh Expo 2030, where we expect to achieve unprecedented attendance: 40 million site visits, and a billion visitors through the Metaverse, a first in the history of World Expo exhibitions.”