Saudi Arabia has submitted a bid to host the World Expo 2030 in the capital Riyadh.
Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman submitted the formal request to host the mega event to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), World Expo’s organizing body.
The theme proposed by the kingdom for Expo 2030, which will be held from 1 Oct. 2030 to 1 Apr. 2031, is “The Era of Change: Leading the Planet to a Foresighted Tomorrow.”
The crown prince’s letter to the BIE reads: “We live in an era of change, and we face an unprecedented need for humanity’s collective action.”
“It is clear that the whole world, as a collective, needs to work together to foresee the future and address, with its brightest minds, the challenges and opportunities that emanate from this change.”
The Expo 2030 in Riyadh, the letter said, would coincide with the culmination of the Saudi Vision 2030, the kingdom’s strategic framework to reduce its dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. It was launched by the Crown Prince in 2016.
“The World Expo 2030 will represent an extraordinary opportunity to share with the world our lessons from this unprecedented transformation,” Bin Salman said.
Four other countries have submitted competing candidatures to organize World Expo 2030: Russia (in Moscow), the Republic of Korea (in Busan), Italy (in Rome) and Ukraine (in Odesa).
Russia’s candidature is for a World Expo in Moscow between 27 April and 27 October 2030 under the theme “Human Progress: A Shared Vision for a World of Harmony”.
The Republic of Korea’s has made the bid for the event in 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 Rome between 25 April and 25 October 2030 under the theme “The Horizontal City: Urban Regeneration and Civil Society”
Ukraine’s candidature in Odesa between 1 May and 31 October 2030 is under the theme “Renaissance. Technology. Future”.
The project examination phase for World Expo 2030 will take place over the next year and a half. Each candidate will submit a detailed candidature dossier, and the BIE will then organize Enquiry Missions, assessing the feasibility and viability of each candidature project. The host country of World Expo 2030 will then be elected in 2023 by the BIE Member States gathered in a General Assembly, on the principle of one country, one vote.
All candidature projects will be presented for the very first time to the BIE Member States during the 169th General Assembly of the BIE on 14 December, and at all subsequent General Assemblies until the final vote.
The next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Kansai (Japan) under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” between 13 April and 13 October 2025.
World Exhibitions have been held since 1851 and provide the largest global platform for presenting the latest achievements and technologies while uniting people across cultures and continents.