Riyadh: Saudi Arabia submits request to host Expo 2030

Under the theme 'The era of change: Leading the planet to a foresighted tomorrow'

Saudi Arabia intends to bid to host the Expo 2030 world fair, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Friday, part of the de facto ruler's push to transform the kingdom's economy and diversify it away from oil.

The Saudi capital Riyadh has submitted a formal request to host Expo 2030 under the theme "The era of change: Leading the planet to a foresighted tomorrow", a statement said.

Gulf neighbour and regional business hub the United Arab Emirates is currently hosting the Expo 2020 world fair in Dubai.

The bid, which was submitted to the expo organising body the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), will be led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Prince Mohammed said the 2030 Expo in Riyadh would coincide with the culmination of the kingdom's economic reform program known as Vision 2030, and allow the kingdom to share lessons from that programme.

In a letter to the BIE, the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, said: “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 Crown Prince highlighted that “the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh will coincide with the culmination of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”

The Saudi Vision 2030 is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism and was launched by the Crown Prince in 2016.

The Crown Prince also said that “the World Expo 2030 will represent an extraordinary opportunity to share with the world our lessons from this unprecedented transformation.”