RIYADH — Saudi Arabia presented on Tuesday its vision for the Riyadh Expo 2030 to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The Saudi dossier was unveiled by a high-level delegation comprising senior ministers and officials during the 172nd general assembly session of BIE. Addressing the session, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that Saudi Arabia's location serves as a "bridge connecting north, south, east and west" would mean it could host a "truly inclusive" expo. Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said that Saudi Arabia has allocated a budget estimated to cost $7.8 billion to host the event. On his part, Ibrahim Al-Sultan, CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), said that Saudi Arabia plans to host more than 120 million visitors for the proposed Expo. "The Kingdom plans to complete the Expo 2030 hosting site before the specified deadlines. By 2028, all preparations for hosting Expo 2030 will be ready," he said. Saudi plans to host World Expo in Riyadh from October 2030 to March 31 2031 while the proposed event theme is "The era of change: Together for a foresighted tomorrow." Al-Sultan pointed out that the Expo site relies on clean energy and takes into account environmental standards. In his speech, Al-Falih said that hosting the Expo is in line with the investment environment in Saudi Arabia, which has no borders. "The Expo site will be a global forum for companies to search for opportunities in the Kingdom, and we will offer our resources and capabilities to make the Global Investment Lab a great success," he said adding that the private sector will be given a large space in organizing Riyadh Expo 2030. For her part, Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America Princess Reema bint Bandar said that Saudi Arabia is committed to organizing the best version of the Expo conference in its history, and that Riyadh is an exceptional global tourist destination that will be fully prepared to host Expo 2030. Princess Reema said that a special visa will be provided to attend Riyadh Expo 2030, which will focus on communication and inclusiveness with all cultures. It is noteworthy that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Monday graced the Kingdom's official reception in Paris to support Riyadh's bid to host the World Expo in 2030.
