Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was chosen to host the Expo 2030 World Expo on Tuesday after its bid, which focused on shaping a prosperous and sustainable future, beat Rome and the South Korean port city of Busan to an event expected to attract millions of visitors .
Members of Paris’ Bureau International des Expositions voted for Riyadh by a majority of 119 out of 165 votes during a closed-door meeting in the suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux. Pusan won 29 votes and Rome 17. The result was greeted with cheers by the Saudi delegation.
Saudi Arabia hopes the Expo will bring 40 million visitors to its capital.
Saudi Arabia has launched a major marketing campaign with a “Riyadh 2030” exhibition near the Eiffel Tower and extensive advertising throughout Paris. Saudi Arabia’s bid, which seeks to diversify the kingdom’s economy and strengthen its international standing, has received official support, notably from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Some activists have condemned Riyadh’s candidacy amid accusations that the country violates human rights, including the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
US intelligence agencies believe Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the killing, which Riyadh has denied as it pushes for the prince’s massive series of construction projects aimed at slowly transforming the kingdom’s oil-dominated economy.
In a statement, Prince Mohammed cited the Expo as a chance to expand his development plans. Dubai, which hosted the pandemic-postponed Expo 2020 in 2021, is now using its $7 billion site to host the UN’s COP28 climate talks this week.
Rome hired actor Russell Crowe, who appeared in a promotional video reflecting his “Gladiator” persona, to highlight the city’s readiness for the Expo. Rome’s bid included plans for the world’s largest urban solar park and a green corridor linking the Expo site with historical sites such as the Appia Antica (Appian Way), one of the oldest and most important roads of the Roman Empire.
The South Korean port city of Busan has brought in cultural heavyweights such as “Gangnam Style” rapper Psy and K-pop supergroup BTS to support its bid. Positioning itself at the high-tech Expo, the city highlighted its capabilities in artificial intelligence and 6G technology to attract millions of visitors and spur job creation.
The World Expo has a rich history of bringing nations together to showcase technological innovation and cultural achievement. Since the inaugural event in 1851, Expos have been platforms for the introduction of ground-breaking inventions such as the light bulb, the Ferris wheel and the Eiffel Tower itself, which was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle.
These events have evolved to not only be a celebration of human ingenuity, but also an opportunity for host cities to accelerate economic growth and global recognition.
They are usually held every five years, with the next one scheduled for 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
