BIE: Expo Riyadh Participation Applications to Open in June

The flag of Saudi Arabia
The flag of Saudi Arabia
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BIE: Expo Riyadh Participation Applications to Open in June

The flag of Saudi Arabia
The flag of Saudi Arabia

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.



GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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GASTAT: Number of Umrah Performers Rose by 31% in Q4 2024

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), in its report on Umrah statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024, revealed on Thursday that the number of Umrah performers increased by 31% compared to the same quarter in 2023.

The report showed that males constituted about 53% of the Umrah performers, while females accounted for 47%. Saudi nationals comprised 4.5% of the total, with the Makkah Region recording the highest number of domestic Umrah performers.
The report also indicated a 26.2% increase in international Umrah performers compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Of these, 64.7% arrived with an Umrah visa. December saw the highest number of international Umrah performers at 38.2%, while November recorded the highest percentage of domestic Umrah performers completing the ritual for one time, representing 34% of the total.
Umrah statistics have been issued quarterly since 2024, detailing the numbers and percentages of domestic and international Umrah performers based on data from the Pilgrim Experience Program, along with approved statistical models.