Riyadh ready to welcome 120 million visitors as Saudis unveil Expo 2030 bid

Officials say city is ready to start preparations immediately with a budget of almost $8 billion

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is overseeing the kingdom's Vision 2030 economic reform agenda. Reuters

Riyadh will be ready to welcome 120 million visitors if the Saudi capital is chosen to host Expo 2030, say officials. Bloomberg

The Saudi capital is competing with Busan, Odesa, and Rome to host the world fair in 2030. Reuters

Guests arrive at the Grand Palais Ephemere for the Riyadh 2030 reception event to promote the city's candidacy for Expo 2030, in Paris. AFP

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb with Eva Descarrega, permanent delegate for Andorra to UN cultural agency Unesco.

Officials from the Bureau International des Expositions, which oversees the World Expo, with Jerry Inzerillo, chief executive of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, near Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia has outlined ambitious plans to develop the capital, including the flagship New Murabba project. SPA

The project will cover 19 square kilometres, centred on a large cube-shaped structure, rendered above, known as the Mukaab.

The New Murabba Development Company's project will include a museum, a technology and design university, a multipurpose immersive theatre and more than 80 cultural and entertainment venues.

The historic Al Masmak fort in Riyadh is one of the city's current tourist attractions and home to a museum. Getty

Work by Saudi artist Ali Al Ruzaiza projected on Masmak Fort during the Noor Riyadh festival. Photo: Noor Riyadh

Football legend Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo visiting Diriyah in May. AFP

The kingdom recently launched a new carrier, Riyadh Air. Photo: Riyadh Air

Riyadh will be ready to welcome 120 million visitors if the Saudi capital is chosen to host Expo 2030, officials said on Tuesday.

The kingdom is “uniquely positioned” to host the event, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan told the general assembly of the Bureau International Des Expositions – the organisation responsible for the World Expo – at the presentation of Riyadh's bid in Paris.

A vote will be held in November to choose the host country.

“Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge connecting North and South, East and West,” said Prince Faisal, citing the kingdom's regional and global position.

Ibrahim Al Sultan, chairman of the Royal Commission for Riyadh, said the city plans to host more than 120 million people in 2030, if the bid is successful.

Preparations to host the event would be complete by 2028, he added.

“We are ready to move forward immediately,” said Mr Al Sultan.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attended an official reception hosted by the kingdom on Monday, where he greeted officials.

This was attended by high-ranking Saudi and French delegations, including ministers and senior officials, and members of international organisations, such as UN cultural agency Unesco.

Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih said the kingdom hopes to attract up to $3.3 trillion in investments, with a budget of almost $8 billion for Expo 2030.

In March, BIE secretary general Dimitri Kerkentzes said Saudi Arabia had presented a strong case to host World Expo 2030, as the delegation concluded an evaluation visit to Riyadh.

“I wanted to let you know that we have seen a strong project from the very top,” Mr Kerkentzes said at the end of the visit.

Riyadh is up against the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, Italy's capital Rome and South Korean port city Busan to secure Expo 2030.

The UAE was the first country in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region to hold the world's fair when it hosted Expo 2020 Dubai.

The event opened in October 2021 – having been delayed by the pandemic – and attracted more than 24 million visits in its six-month run.