The general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) will convene in Paris on Tuesday to vote on the selection of the winning city to host Expo 2030.
The member states of the assembly will vote on one of three files: Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), South Korea (Busan), and Italy (Rome).
Each of the candidates will make a final presentation of their project, after which the eligible and present members of the assembly will vote via secret ballot using electronic voting, with each country having only one vote.
The competition among the three contenders remains intense until the final moments.
Saudi Arabia’s bid for Riyadh will take centerstage, promising an “unprecedented edition” of the world fair.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol concluded a visit to France on Sunday, participating in the final campaign to promote Busan as the host city.
He called for support for Busan’s bid, emphasizing that it would serve as a platform for global challenges and an opportunity for South Korea to reciprocate the support it received from the international community during its economic development.
Simultaneously, Italy is seeking to host the event in its capital, Rome, aiming to boost its economy, reminiscent of the economic upturn experienced when Milan hosted Expo 2015.
Saudi Arabia, as expressed by several high-ranking officials overseeing Riyadh’s bid campaign, also affirmed its commitment to hosting Expo 2030.
The Kingdom is looking to enhance the world’s ability to reshape the planet towards a better future by transforming the international event into a platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange.
To achieve this, Riyadh has allocated a budget of $7.2 billion for organizing the expo, part of Saudi Arabia’s overarching national transformation plan of Vision 2030.
Ibrahim bin Muhammad Al-Sultan, CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, emphasized the Kingdom’s commitment to completing the Expo 2030 hosting site well in advance of the specified deadlines.
By 2028, all preparations for hosting Expo 2030 will be ready, said Al-Sultan.
