Saudi Arabia Submits Expo 2030 Riyadh Registration Dossier to BIE

The dossier was presented to BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily. (SPA)
The dossier was presented to BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Submits Expo 2030 Riyadh Registration Dossier to BIE

The dossier was presented to BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily. (SPA)
The dossier was presented to BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia submitted its official registration dossier for World Expo 2030 Riyadh to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), reaffirming its commitment and readiness to organize this global event.

The dossier was presented to BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahad Al-Ruwaily, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.

Submitting the official bid is one of the most crucial stages in the Kingdom’s preparations to host Expo 2030. It marks the beginning of the practical implementation of plans and the actual start of preparations for the global event, reflecting the Kingdom's seriousness in fulfilling its international obligations and its high organizational capabilities and large potential to host major global events.

This step follows the Kingdom's election as World Expo 2030 host country during the 173rd BIE general assembly in November 2023.

The submitted dossier includes a comprehensive plan covering all organizational, procedural, and operational aspects, including the operational timeline; legislative, regulatory, and financial procedures; the master plan for the exhibition site; international participation conditions; and plans to invest in the Expo’s legacy.

The registration file will undergo a review by the BIE and its member countries in preparation for its official approval by the general assembly. Once approved, the Kingdom will begin practical preparations and send official invitations for international participation through diplomatic channels.

Kerkentzes praised the quality of the submitted file, noting that it presents a comprehensive and clear vision for organizing Expo 2030 in Riyadh. He highlighted the Kingdom’s keenness and extensive efforts in preparing and cooperating with the bureau to ensure the success of the global event.



Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
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Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha

Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation's 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety.
Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) peak, Reuters reported.
This often results in long queues of climbers in the 'death Zone', an area below the summit with insufficient natural oxygen for survival.
Overcrowding has been blamed for the high number of deaths on the mountain. At least 12 climbers died, and another five went missing on Everest's slopes in 2023 when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died last year.
Under the proposed law, an Everest permit would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of having climbed at least one 7,000-meter mountain in Nepal.
The sardar, or the head of local staff, and the mountain guide accompanying climbers must also be Nepali citizens.
The draft law has been registered at the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling alliance holds a majority required to pass the bill.
International expedition operators have urged Nepal to allow any 7,000-meter peak, not just those in the Himalayan nation, for the Everest permit.
"That wouldn't make any sense. And I would also add mountains that are close to 7,000 meters to that list and that are widely used as preparation, like Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and others," said Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based expedition organizer, Furtenbach Adventures.
Furtenbach, currently leading an expedition on Everest, said mountain guides from other countries must also be allowed to work on Everest, as there are not enough qualified Nepali mountain guides.
"It is important that mountain guides have a qualification like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), no matter what nationality they are. We do also welcome Nepali IFMGA guides to work in the Alps in Europe," he told Reuters.
Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering also said a 6,500-meter peak anywhere in the world would be a better idea.
"It's too difficult to find a reasonable 7,000-meter plus peak in Nepal," Madison said.