Saudi Arabia to Host World Expo in 2030, Crown Prince Hails Win as Culmination of Saudi Vision Goals

Saudi Arabia secured a decisive victory in the bid to host the Expo 2030 World Fair, as announced by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris on Tuesday.
The confirmation came after Riyadh overwhelmingly garnered 119 votes in the initial round, marking a landslide triumph.
Following this announcement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declared that the Kingdom is set to deliver an “unprecedented edition in the history of hosting Expos,” emphasizing that “Riyadh's win in hosting Expo solidifies its leading role.”
Riyadh outperformed the Italian capital, Rome, and the South Korean city of Busan by a wide margin during the initial round of voting.
BIE announced that the kingdom would be hosting the exhibition after a secret ballot was cast during the 173rd General Assembly of BIE in Paris.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman extended his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to mark the landmark occasion.
“The kingdom’s selection as the host of the World Expo 2030 underlines its influential and leading role and the international confidence it enjoys. Saudi Arabia has become an ideal destination for hosting major international events, including the esteemed World Expo,” said the Crown Prince.
“The World Expo 2030 coincides with a crucial year for the realization of the goals and plans outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.”
“This Expo represents a remarkable opportunity to share with the world the lessons learned from our unprecedented journey of transformation,” he added.
The Crown Prince stressed Riyadh’s readiness to welcome the world at Expo 2030, and the fact that it will fulfill the obligations stipulated in the bid with the aim of achieving the main theme of the expo, “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow”, and its subtopics: “A Different Tomorrow”, “Climate Action”, and “Prosperity for All.”
The Kingdom's bid to host the Expo received strong and direct support from the Crown Prince, starting with the Kingdom’s official application to the BIE on October 29, 2021.
The Long Parisian Day: Unraveling the Details
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s confidence in Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030 was not misplaced. In his presentation of Riyadh’s file before the BIE, Prince Faisal asserted that the Kingdom would emerge victorious in the competition against Italy and South Korea.
The top diplomat had affirmed that 130 countries expressed confidence in Riyadh’s proposal, and its capability to host the exposition.
According to BIE’s secretary-general, it is rare for a candidate country to secure victory from the first round, a feat achieved by Saudi Arabia with two-thirds of the votes from the outset.
During Tuesday’s session, the Saudi delegation was the last to address the General Assembly, following the diverse presentation from the South Korean and Italian delegations.
The Saudi Presentation
The Saudi delegation, led by Prince Faisal, delivered a cohesive presentation under the theme “From the World, To the World.”
They emphasized Saudi Arabia’s commitment to establishing the largest network of cooperation with nations worldwide.
Notably, Riyadh expressed its intent to allocate $384 million to assist 100 nations in need, enabling their participation in “Expo Riyadh 2030” under the banner of “One World, One Pavilion.”
Prince Faisal underscored the Kingdom’s focus on developmental goals, accelerating progress on all fronts, and addressing global challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, and international cooperation.
Speaking as he led the Saudi delegation at the general assembly on Tuesday, Prince Faisal stated, "The Kingdom is committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to deliver a distinctive edition of Expo 2030."
Princess Haifa Al-Mogrin, Saudi Arabia's representative to UNESCO, stated that the Kingdom will collaborate with all nations every step of the way until 2030.
She highlighted the focus on providing opportunities for education, health, environment, and prosperity for all.
Expo Hosting Journey
Among the five cities that initially submitted bids to host Expo 2030, two dropped out of the race early: Moscow and the Ukrainian city of Odessa, overlooking the Black Sea.
Moscow withdrew its bid due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Odessa was not considered by the BIE as it did not meet the necessary conditions for organizing such a significant event.
This left Riyadh, Rome, and Busan as the remaining contenders, each presenting ambitious plans to host the prestigious expo, considered the global event in the exhibition field.
After a series of successive stages in the bidding process, the decisive moment arrived on Nov.28 with the electronic voting by the 180 member countries.
The BIE provided the final opportunity for the three competing parties to present their arguments and focus on key points they deemed “winning.”
The BIE director emphasized the need for strict adherence to the allocated time, not exceeding 20 minutes per presentation.
After Riyadh’s bid won the right to host the Expo 2030 world fair, Prince Faisal affirmed that Saudi Arabia’s victory “signifies the Kingdom's status and the international community's confidence in it.”
Prince Faisal emphasized that Saudi Arabia would present a “new type” of Expo in 2030, changing the dynamics of international exhibitions.
He expressed pride in the Kingdom’s exceptional success and thanked the nations that voted in Riyadh’s favor, acknowledging the presentations by South Korea and Italy.
Once again, he underscored that the expo is “not just for Saudi Arabia but for the entire world,” with Riyadh planning to involve all nations in its conception, planning, and execution.

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."

Saudi Arabia to Host World Expo in 2030, Crown Prince Hails Win as Culmination of Saudi Vision Goals