Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), said his visit to Riyadh aimed to finalize the Kingdom’s registration file this week before submitting it to BIE member states in March for executive committee approval.
The file would then be presented to the General Assembly in June for final endorsement.
Once the General Assembly grants its approval, he said, Saudi Arabia will be able to issue official invitations for countries worldwide to apply for participation in Expo 2030.
Kerkentzes highlighted the potential presence of augmented reality technologies at Riyadh Expo 2030, saying they could play a powerful role in shaping the event and setting a benchmark for future World Expos.
Expressing keen enthusiasm, Kerkentzes said he was eager to see how these technologies would be integrated, noting that the Saudi team organizing Riyadh Expo 2030 was giving significant consideration to their inclusion.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of his technical visit to Riyadh, Kerkentzes explained that visitors to world expos seek interactive and immersive experiences.
There are aspects of the virtual world that we cannot replicate in the physical realm, he said.
The Secretary General of BIE said his visit aimed to finalize the Expo 2030 registration process, emphasizing the importance of this procedural step in shaping the event’s execution.
According to Kerkentzes, this step will determine how we implement what was envisioned during the bidding phase.
He stressed that since Saudi Arabia won the bid to host Expo 2030 a year and a half ago, the BIE has been working closely with the Saudi government, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and the newly established Expo organizing company to finalize the official framework.
The framework will allow countries to assess their participation and plan their presence at the event.
