Saudi Crown Prince Attends Paris Reception for Riyadh’s Expo 2030 Bid

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attending the reception ceremony for Riyadh's bid to host Expo 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attending the reception ceremony for Riyadh's bid to host Expo 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Crown Prince Attends Paris Reception for Riyadh’s Expo 2030 Bid

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attending the reception ceremony for Riyadh's bid to host Expo 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attending the reception ceremony for Riyadh's bid to host Expo 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, demonstrated its organizational prowess in hosting Expo 2030 in the esteemed presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The city’s remarkable capabilities were highlighted as it presented the most prominent proposal to host this global event by the end of the decade.

Through the presented proposal, Riyadh revealed an allocated budget for organizing the event, amounting to approximately $7.3 billion. This budget is divided into $5.85 billion for capital expenses and $1.47 billion for operational expenses.

The personal involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the official reception of the Kingdom’s bid to host Expo 2030 in the French capital, Paris, sends a clear message about Saudi Arabia’s commitment to organizing this globally renowned trade event.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City presented its proposal for hosting Expo 2030, which is expected to be held under the overarching theme of “The Age of Change: Together for a Foresighted Future.”

The proposal encompasses three sub-themes: “A Better Tomorrow,” “Climate Action,” and “Prosperity for All.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman highlighted the significance of the Expo’s main theme, stating that the Kingdom’s hosting of the event will coincide with a year of celebrating the culmination of efforts aimed at achieving the goals of Vision 2030.

Riyadh’s proposal addressed the projected global population of around 10 billion people by the year 2050, emphasizing the importance of enabling them to live in favorable conditions and lead prosperous lives.

This can be achieved through global innovation and technology, as well as by addressing challenges related to climate and environmental changes.

Additionally, the proposal emphasized the importance of providing equal opportunities and equality for all individuals.

The reception ceremony in Paris was organized on the eve of the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), scheduled for Tuesday.

Representatives from 179 member countries attended the ceremony to learn about Riyadh’s readiness, plans, and projects for hosting the expo.

This served as a prelude to the voting process that will determine the host city for this event at the next BIE General Assembly meeting, scheduled to take place in November.

It is expected that Expo 2030 will attract around 40 million visitors to the site, along with one billion virtual visitors.

 



Saudi Arabia to Host Talks between US, Russian, Ukrainian Officials on Monday

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as he attends a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 12, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as he attends a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 12, 2025. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia to Host Talks between US, Russian, Ukrainian Officials on Monday

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as he attends a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 12, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as he attends a press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 12, 2025. (Reuters)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Ukrainian experts would be present at upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia involving the United States and Russia, but will not be in the same room as Russia, as a diplomatic push to end the war intensifies.

Russian and US experts are due to discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea at talks on a possible peace settlement in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the Kremlin said.

"There will be technical teams present there," Zelenskiy said during a visit to Norway.

"I understand that the structure is the following: there will be a meeting of Ukraine and America and then some shuttle diplomacy, as our American colleagues said, America with Russia," he told a press conference with Norway's premier.

Zelenskiy said on Wednesday Kyiv would draw up a list of facilities that could be subject to a partial ceasefire brokered by Washington. That list could include not only energy, but also rail and port infrastructure, he said.

Negotiators from Moscow and the US will meet Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser Sergei Ushakov told Russian news agencies.

US President Donald Trump and Zelenskiy agreed on Wednesday to work together to end Russia's war with Ukraine, in what the White House described as a "fantastic" one-hour phone call, their first conversation since their Oval Office shouting match that resulted in a short-term cutoff in US military aid and intelligence to Kyiv.

Trump said on Thursday the United States will sign a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine shortly and that his efforts to achieve a peace deal for the country were going "pretty well" after his talks this week with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.

Ukraine and the US said this month they had agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources, which Trump sees as a means to pay back the United States for its assistance to Kyiv.