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Decision Day: Which City Will Secure Hosting Rights for Expo 2030?

The vote for the host city of the 2030 World Expo is set to take place in Paris on Nov.28. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The vote for the host city of the 2030 World Expo is set to take place in Paris on Nov.28. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Decision Day: Which City Will Secure Hosting Rights for Expo 2030?

The vote for the host city of the 2030 World Expo is set to take place in Paris on Nov.28. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The vote for the host city of the 2030 World Expo is set to take place in Paris on Nov.28. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

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.

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Saudi Aramco Acquires 50% Stake in BHIG Hydrogen Company

Saudi Aramco signed an agreements to acquire an equity interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ). (SPA)
Saudi Aramco signed an agreements to acquire an equity interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ). (SPA)
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Saudi Aramco Acquires 50% Stake in BHIG Hydrogen Company

Saudi Aramco signed an agreements to acquire an equity interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ). (SPA)
Saudi Aramco signed an agreements to acquire an equity interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ). (SPA)

Saudi Aramco, a global integrated energy and chemicals company, signed on Tuesday definitive agreements to acquire an equity interest in the Jubail-based Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company (BHIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Products Qudra (APQ).

The transaction, which is subject to standard closing conditions, will also include options for Aramco to offtake hydrogen and nitrogen.

As part of its efforts to develop low-carbon hydrogen businesses and expand its alternative energy solutions portfolio, Aramco expects its investment in BHIG will contribute to the development of a lower-carbon hydrogen network in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, serving both domestic and regional customers.

Upon completion of the transaction, Aramco and APQ, a joint venture between Air Products and Qudra Energy, are expected to each own a 50% stake in BHIG.

Aramco executive vice president of strategy & corporate development Ashraf Al Ghazzawi said the investment highlights Saudi Aramco's ambition to expand its new energy portfolio and grow its low-carbon hydrogen business.

He expressed his pleasure in moving forward with APQ on this path, noting that there are promising commercial opportunities for low-emission hydrogen, and that the company aims to leverage its growing capabilities in carbon capture and storage (CCS) and its technical expertise in hydrogen to support the creation of a thriving low-carbon hydrogen market, which could help lay the foundation for the energy system of the future.

APQ chairman Dr. Samir J. Serhan stressed the company's continued expansion of its longstanding partnership with Saudi Aramco and its commitment to accelerating the growth of the hydrogen economy.

He underlined the efforts of the two companies to establish the largest hydrogen network in the Middle East, which is expected to serve the refining, chemical, and petrochemical industries, and expressed his eagerness to contribute the company's expertise in hydrogen business and pipelines and to support Saudi Aramco's efforts to secure reliable supplies of low-carbon hydrogen to meet local and regional needs.

BHIG, which is designed to produce lower-carbon hydrogen while capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2), intends to commence commercial operations in coordination with Aramco's CCS activities.