The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, has carried out a Technical Visit to Riyadh to review preparations for World Expo 2030 Riyadh, a little over a year after Saudi Arabia’s election as host country.
The four-day visit included a meeting between the Secretary General and H.R.H. Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City (RCRC).
During a series of technical meetings, the BIE delegation and Saudi officials discussed Saudi Arabia’s framework and course of action for the Expo, including the formulation of the Registration Dossier, a detailed plan for the implementation of the Expo that is currently being finalized.
The Registration Dossier will notably include scheduled operational dates, legislative and financial measures, the Expo site Master Plan, the conditions for international participation and legacy plans. Once submitted to the BIE and reviewed by the Organization’s Secretariat and Member States, the General Assembly of the BIE will be able to formally register Expo 2030 Riyadh, allowing Saudi Arabia to invite international participants via diplomatic channels and begin preparations in earnest.
The BIE delegation also met with key officials involved in the Expo 2030 project, including H.E. Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning; H.E. Eng. Ibrahim Al-Sultan, Minister of State and CEO of RCRC; and H.E. Mohammed Al-Suraysri, Secretary of the Expo Higher Committee.
The BIE Secretary General indicated: “Since its election as World Expo 2030 host country, Saudi Arabia has been diligently moving in the right direction towards hosting a transformational event. With meticulous coordination at the highest levels, Expo 2030 Riyadh is set to be a remarkable opportunity for the world to discover Saudi Arabia and for Saudi Arabia to welcome the world.”
Saudi Arabia was elected as the host of World Expo 2030 during the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE in November 2023. Organized under the theme “Foresight for Tomorrow,” Expo 2030 Riyadh aims to welcome over 200 countries and international organizations between October 1, 2030 and March 31, 2031.
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, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, will take place between April 13 and October 13, 2025, under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
