RCRC Shares Kingdom’s World Expo Vision with UNESCO World Heritage Committee

The logo of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
The logo of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
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RCRC Shares Kingdom’s World Expo Vision with UNESCO World Heritage Committee

The logo of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
The logo of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has held a reception for members of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee and briefed them on the Kingdom’s bid to host World Expo 2030 in the capital Riyadh.

“Riyadh Expo 2030 is part of the Kingdom’s endeavor to enable all countries to make an impact on the international scale, with the aim of creating a bright future for the planet under the theme ‘Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow’,” said Eng. Abdulaziz Alghannam, the Technical Director of the Riyadh Expo 2030 bid, at the reception on Friday.

“The three sub-themes of Riyadh Expo 2030 represent the Kingdom’s vision to present the most impactful World Expo ever, collaborating for a better future, where ‘Prosperity for All’ seeks to achieve a prosperous and a peaceful planet in which science and innovation are accessible to all. Also, ‘Climate Action’ promotes creative solutions to climate change by uniting international efforts, and ‘A Different Tomorrow’ seeks to harness science, innovations, and technologies to develop new tools for individuals and societies,” he said.

Alghannam added: “Inspired by Saudi Vision 2030, Riyadh Expo 2030 pays great attention to the Kingdom’s civilization, rich heritage, ancient traditions, and cultural treasures, which we would be proud to showcase to the Riyadh Expo 2030 visitors through immersive experiences.”

He stressed that the capital city is fully prepared to host this international exhibition and present the most impactful and unprecedented edition in the history of World Expo.

The members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee were briefed about the Kingdom's ambitious goals for Riyadh Expo 2030 and the major ongoing development projects which will be ready by 2030.

They were also briefed on Riyadh Expo 2030’s sustainability plans, including clean energy, high standards of resource efficiencies and detailed strategies to enhance and conserve biodiversity, eliminate food wastage, and green waste management and recycling.

The reception by RCRC was held on the sidelines of the Kingdom’s hosting of the meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh from September 10 to 25, in its capacity as the current chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.



Magritte Painting Nets Auction Record of $121 Million

Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumières" is on display during a press preview for Christie's Fall 20/21 Marquee Week in New York, November 8, 2024. (AFP)
Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumières" is on display during a press preview for Christie's Fall 20/21 Marquee Week in New York, November 8, 2024. (AFP)
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Magritte Painting Nets Auction Record of $121 Million

Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumières" is on display during a press preview for Christie's Fall 20/21 Marquee Week in New York, November 8, 2024. (AFP)
Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumières" is on display during a press preview for Christie's Fall 20/21 Marquee Week in New York, November 8, 2024. (AFP)

A painting by Rene Magritte shattered an auction record for the surrealist artist on Tuesday, selling for more than $121 million at Christie's in New York.

The seminal 1954 painting had been valued at $95 million, and the previous record for a work by Magritte (1898-1967) was $79 million, set in 2022.

After a nearly 10-minute bidding war on Tuesday, "Empire of Light" ("L'Empire des lumieres") was sold for $121,160,000, "achieving a world-record price for the artist and for a surrealist work of art at auction", according to auction house Christie's.

The painting -- depicting a house at night, illuminated by a lamp post, while under a bright, blue sky -- is one of a series by the Belgian artist showing the interplay of shadow and light.

"Empire of Light" was part of the private collection of Mica Ertegun, an interior designer who fled communist Romania to settle in the United States where she became an influential figure in the arts world.

She died in late 2023 and was married to the late Ahmet Ertegun, the music magnate who founded the Atlantic Records label.

The sale of the Magritte painting was an expected highlight of this week's autumn sales season in New York, at a time when the art market has seen a slowdown since last year.

Christie's -- which is controlled by Artemis, the investment holding company owned by the Pinault family -- said sales totaled $2.1 billion in the first half of this year.

That is down for the second straight year, after a peak of $4.1 billion in 2022 as the world emerged from the coronavirus pandemic.

During the same Christie's auction on Tuesday, a celebrated 1964 painting of a gas station by 86-year-old Ed Ruscha, titled "Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half," sold for $68.26 million, setting a new auction record for the American pop artist.