Major Projects Confirm Riyadh’s Ability to Organize Exceptional Expo 2030

The new international version of the Media Oasis is being held by the Saudi Ministry of Information in Paris from Nov. 26-28. (SPA)
The new international version of the Media Oasis is being held by the Saudi Ministry of Information in Paris from Nov. 26-28. (SPA)
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Major Projects Confirm Riyadh’s Ability to Organize Exceptional Expo 2030

The new international version of the Media Oasis is being held by the Saudi Ministry of Information in Paris from Nov. 26-28. (SPA)
The new international version of the Media Oasis is being held by the Saudi Ministry of Information in Paris from Nov. 26-28. (SPA)

The General Assembly of the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE) is preparing to choose the country which will host Expo 2030, as the representatives of 182 member states of the (BIE) will cast their ballots on Tuesday, to determine whether Riyadh, Busan or Rome will organize the international event.

Saudi Arabia’s giant projects have confirmed the country’s ability to organize an exceptional exhibition, making Riyadh one of the top 10 cities in the world in 2030.

The Kingdom has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of tourists, according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), ranking second worldwide in the increase of international tourists in the first quarter of 2023, and the highest quarterly performance with a growth rate of 64 percent, during which it received about 7.8 million tourists.

The new international version of the Media Oasis is being held by the Saudi Ministry of Information in Paris from Nov. 26-28, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia’s participation in the 173rd General Assembly meeting.

The majority of participants have agreed in their discussions that the major Saudi projects, which are displayed at the event, prove the city’s ability to organize “an exceptional and unprecedented version that contributes to anticipating the future,” as previously announced by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Those projects include the King Salman Park and the Sports Track, the largest longitudinal park in the world, the New Square, as well as one of the world’s largest urban afforestation projects, known as Green Riyadh.

In addition to its future projects, the Saudi capital also presents a model of a city with a rich history, with developmental transformations and comprehensive renaissance.

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority introduces the city as the first historical Saudi capital, where culture, beauty, nature and art, make it an exceptional world destination for enthusiasts of history and culture.



Turkish Stocks Jump as PKK Disbandment Adds to Trade Relief

 People walk on a small street leads that to the historical Galata Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk on a small street leads that to the historical Galata Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
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Turkish Stocks Jump as PKK Disbandment Adds to Trade Relief

 People walk on a small street leads that to the historical Galata Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk on a small street leads that to the historical Galata Tower in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Turkish stocks jumped on Monday, bonds climbed and the lira rallied against the euro as news the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group was ending its four decade-long insurgency in the country added to US-China trade cheer.

Global share markets were enjoying a strong surge after the US and China agreed to slash tariffs, but Turkish equities outstripped most other bourses as they jumped more than 3%.

A PKK member said it was ceasing all military operations "immediately" following the group's decision to disband, a move that could boost NATO member Türkiye's political and economic stability.

The lira was up 1.3% against the euro and steady against the dollar, while its international market bonds, which have been losing ground for the last six months, were up nearly 0.7 cents.

The PKK decision followed an appeal from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February to disband. It is set to have far-reaching political and security consequences for the region, including in neighboring Iraq and also in Syria, where Kurdish forces are allied with US forces.

Omer Celik, spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party, said the PKK's decision to dissolve was "an important step toward a terror-free Türkiye".

There have been intermittent peace efforts over the years, most notably a ceasefire between 2013 and 2015 that ultimately collapsed.

The PKK's move should now give Erdogan the opportunity to boost spending in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Türkiye, where the insurgency has handicapped the regional economy for decades.

Analysts welcomed the PKK move but added a note of caution.

"It can only be good news," said Christopher Granville, managing director of EMEA & Global Political Research at investment advisory firm TS Lombard. "But is it decisive for the difficult Turkish investment case?"

He said the PKK issue was ultimately "secondary" to questions about Türkiye's recent arrest of Erdogan's main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and the broader direction of its macroeconomic policy.

Those concerns have weighed on Turkish markets this year.

MSCI's Türkiye equities index is down more than 13% compared to a near 8% rise in its pan-emerging market index., while lira-denominated government bonds have cost investors more than 8% on a total returns basis.

The cost of insuring Ankara's government debt using Credit Default Swaps (CDS) has also shot up, although Monday's rally saw that ease back.

"A continuation of the pullback (in CDS levels) ... may support banking stocks, which have been the negatively differentiated sector in BIST (Turkish stocks index) in the last 2 months," Garanti BBVA Yatirim's Director Ozgur Yurtdasseven said.

Turkish banking stocks were up 3.8% on the day, but remain more than 16% down on the year in lira terms and more than 20% in dollar terms.