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.

 



Qatar and Egypt Say Assassinations Damage Gaza Truce Chances 

Iranians carry the portrait of late Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and wave Palestinian flags during a protest at Tehran University in Tehran, Iran, 31 July 2024. (EPA)
Iranians carry the portrait of late Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and wave Palestinian flags during a protest at Tehran University in Tehran, Iran, 31 July 2024. (EPA)
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Qatar and Egypt Say Assassinations Damage Gaza Truce Chances 

Iranians carry the portrait of late Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and wave Palestinian flags during a protest at Tehran University in Tehran, Iran, 31 July 2024. (EPA)
Iranians carry the portrait of late Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and wave Palestinian flags during a protest at Tehran University in Tehran, Iran, 31 July 2024. (EPA)

Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, suggested on Wednesday that the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could jeopardize efforts to secure a truce in Gaza. 

"Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?" Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani wrote on X. 

"Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life." 

Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement that a "dangerous Israeli escalation policy" over the past two days had undermined efforts to broker an end to the fighting in Gaza. 

"The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down," the statement said. 

"It undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people," it added. 

Qatar, Egypt and the United States have repeatedly tried to clinch a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 39,000 Palestinians since Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel in October, killing 1,200 people. 

A final deal to halt more than nine months of war has been complicated by changes sought by Israel, sources have told Reuters, and there was no sign of progress at the latest round of talks in Rome on Sunday. 

Haniyeh, who mainly resided in Qatar, was assassinated in the early hours of the morning in Iran, raising fears of wider escalation in a Middle East shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon. 

Qatar condemned Haniyeh's assassination in the Iranian capital Tehran, saying it was a dangerous escalation. 

His demise occurred less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed a Hezbollah commander in Beirut whom it blamed for a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 

Haniyeh had not been directly involved in the day-to-day Gaza ceasefire negotiations and was not leading the talks. The senior Hamas figure who has been central throughout ceasefire and hostage release negotiations is Khalil Al-Hayya, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters previously. 

Haniyeh's killing also came as Egypt's recently appointed Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was in Qatar for talks on issues including the Gaza crisis. He discussed the assassination with Sheikh Mohammed, the Qatari foreign ministry said.