Saudi bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh envisions a forum reflecting sustainability and global diversity

Special Saudi bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh envisions a forum reflecting sustainability and global diversity
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Updated 23 November 2023
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Saudi bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh envisions a forum reflecting sustainability and global diversity

Saudi bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh envisions a forum reflecting sustainability and global diversity
  • High-level Saudi delegation addressed General Assembly of Bureau International des Expositions in Paris
  • Delivering expo that reflects transition to sustainable and more equal future described as strategic priority

PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s location as a “bridge connecting north, south, east and west” means it could host a “truly inclusive” World Expo, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, told the 172nd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris on Tuesday.

Speaking as part of a high-level Saudi delegation deployed to the French capital this week to present the Kingdom’s plan for Riyadh Expo 2030, Prince Faisal said the city could provide a forum that would reflect global diversity and the world’s move towards a sustainable future. 

“It is a strategic priority for the Kingdom to deliver an expo built by the world, for the world, an expo which recognizes global diversity, and we seek the opportunity to organize an expo that continues the legacy of international exhibitions at a time when the international community seeks to prepare for a transition to a sustainable and more equal future,” he said.

Saudi Arabia officially submitted its full bid to host the expo last October. Riyadh is up against Busan in South Korea and Rome in Italy. The final selection is due to take place in November.

Riyadh intends to host the World Expo from Oct. 1, 2030, to March 31, 2031, at a purpose-built complex covering an area of 6 million square meters, under the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.”

“Our expo will be built by the world, for the world,” Ibrahim Al-Sultan, acting CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, told the assembly. “The work has already begun.”

Preparations to host the expo are due for completion in February 2028, with capacity to welcome some 120 million visitors in 2030 alone if the city is selected. 

Riyadh has experience in building world-class projects with the assistance of international partners, said Al-Sultan. Furthermore, it is “on the road” to becoming a global, top-10 economy and a hub for finance, commerce, sport and entertainment.

A BIE delegation visited Riyadh in March to review the technical aspects of its candidacy. During his five-day visit, Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of the BIE, said the Kingdom has “everything needed” to host a successful expo.

The Saudi bid fits Vision 2030, the social reform and economic diversification agenda unveiled by the crown prince in 2016 to move the country’s economy away from hydrocarbons to develop other high-value sectors including tourism and entertainment.

Khalid Al-Falih, the Kingdom’s investment minister, told Tuesday’s assembly that Expo 2030 would create an opportunity “in line with the investment environment in Saudi Arabia, which knows no limits.”




Lamia Al-Muhanna, on the left, director of landscape architecture, Royal Commission for Riyadh City. (Screenshot/BIE Paris)

Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is targeting investment worth $3.3 trillion by the end of the decade, 30 percent of which would be in the city of Riyadh, said Al-Falih.

“The Expo 2030 budget of $7.8 billion is catalytic to our broader Riyadh investment plan.”

The private sector would be given a large role in organizing the event, said Al-Falih, adding the expo site would be a “global forum for companies to search for opportunities in the Kingdom.”

Tourism is a key pillar of Vision 2030 and would form an important part of a successful Riyadh Expo, Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the US, told the assembly.

She said a special visa would be issued to those attending an Expo 2030 in Riyadh.




Ibrahim Al-Sultan, acting CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. (Screenshot/BIE Paris)

Saudi Arabia is no stranger to hosting millions of visitors, given that it is home to the Two Holy Mosques which bring in millions of pilgrims every year for Hajj in Makkah for one of the largest mass gatherings in the world.

Princess Reema said the Kingdom was “a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by the world,” that was fully dedicated to organizing the “greatest expo in history.” Riyadh is an “exceptional” global tourist destination, she added.

On Monday, the crown prince attended Saudi Arabia’s official reception in Paris hosted by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City for delegates of the 179 member states of the BIE — an important part of the nomination procedure. 

The event was held to showcase Riyadh’s readiness to host the expo and to outline its plans ahead of the BIE’s next general assembly in November, during which the 2030 expo’s host city will be put to a vote.

More than 60 countries and organizations, including China, France, Turkiye, Greece, Morocco, Nigeria, Djibouti, Armenia, Cuba, Costa Rica, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have endorsed the Saudi bid.

Saudi Arabia first took part in a World Expo in 1958 when the event was hosted in the Belgian capital, Brussels and has participated in World and Specialized Expos ever since. World Expos are held every five years, with Specialized Expos in the in-between years.

The Kingdom’s enthusiasm and engagement in these events has not gone unnoticed. At a Specialized Expo 2008 in the Spanish city of Zaragoza, Saudi Arabia was handed a silver award for its pavilion design. This was topped two years later with a gold award at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai in China.

The tradition of World Expos began in London in 1851 with the Great Exhibition — a celebration of scientific and technological advancement, but also a fascinating display of curiosities from around the world that reflected an age of accelerating transport and communications and seemingly boundless potential.

Since then, World Expos have been occasions to share and celebrate the innovations and discoveries of the day. It takes visitors on immersive journeys built around a common theme.

Welcoming tens of millions of visitors, they allow participating countries to build extraordinary pavilions, transforming host cities for years to come.

The last was hosted by Dubai from Oct. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The next is due to be held in Osaka, Japan, in 2025.

Having earned a reputation for breathtaking architecture and displays featuring high-tech innovations following the success of its multi award-winning pavilion at the Dubai Expo, Saudi Arabia appears very well placed to secure its bid for 2030.


Italian chef delivers risotto masterclass at Saudi Feast Food Festival

Italian chef delivers risotto masterclass at Saudi Feast Food Festival
Updated 01 December 2023
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Italian chef delivers risotto masterclass at Saudi Feast Food Festival

Italian chef delivers risotto masterclass at Saudi Feast Food Festival
  • Representing his country ‘the dream of my life,’ Valerio Cabri says
  • Chef had earlier taken part in episode of ‘Dinner Incredible’ in AlUla

RIYADH: Italian chef Valerio Cabri hosted a masterclass on how to make the perfect risotto at the Saudi Feast Food Festival.

Representing ALMA, the Italian School of Culinary Arts, located at the heart of Italy’s so-called food valley in Parma, he said: “We are here to represent Italy and our school for a couple of events starting from the Ritz Carlton in which we had a competition with Saudi Arabian students making a risotto.”

The aim of the workshop was to present a typical Italian recipe and highlight two of its best-loved products, Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic vinegar of Modena, both of which are classed as protected designation of origin products.

“The masterclass was a success,” Cabri said. “The guests understood the consistency that we want from risotto because risotto is very creamy and is like what we say in Italian ‘wave risotto.’ It’s very creamy, not liquidy, not sticky. It is even difficult for an Italian chef to make a good risotto.”

Hosting the class was a dream come true for the chef, who said it was a privilege to represent his country in the Kingdom.

“I feel so honored, it’s like the dream of my life,” he said. “I am 40 years old now here in this country. So important and so far away from home. I felt like representing my family, honoring my country and I feel like bringing the heritage of my country to an amazing place like this, in which I found a kind of kindness that I probably never seen before.”

The chef’s visit started in AlUla, where he took part in a project called “Dinner Incredible,” which involves a team of 12 world-famous chefs traveling the world and discovering new ingredients to create fabulous meals, as well as supporting small producers and local sustainability.

“The experience was amazing because it was a dinner in the desert in a canyon with no electricity, no water, no everything, and the dining room was under the sky. We love challenges so it was amazing and my role is to help the chefs to make it possible,” Cabri said.

He said he was delighted to have come such a long way in his 20 years as a chef. But things were not always easy.

“At the beginning, it’s very hard, you don’t have fun, you don’t enjoy it that much. The suggestion is to keep going, to keep pushing, to take care of yourself, to honor yourself.

“The fun time will come after. If you are talented, it is impossible to recognize immediately. So, you have to go on even if it’s very hard, if you don’t go on, you won’t discover, no matter if you are talented or not. So the point is to enjoy every time you are cooking even if it’s hard.”

Cabri said the main ingredients for anyone thinking about pursuing a career in cooking were passion and practice.

“If you put everything of yourself, of your art, of your soul in what you do, if you want to be a Michelin star famous chef you have to be talented and a bit of a genius.”

The Saudi Feast Food Festival at the King Saud University in Riyadh showcases the best of Saudi cuisine, including regional specialties. Organized by the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, it runs until Saturday.


Palestinian Red Crescent official thanks Saudi Arabia for humanitarian aid in Gaza

Palestinian Red Crescent official thanks Saudi Arabia for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Updated 01 December 2023
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Palestinian Red Crescent official thanks Saudi Arabia for humanitarian aid in Gaza

Palestinian Red Crescent official thanks Saudi Arabia for humanitarian aid in Gaza

GAZA: Executive Director of Palestinian Red Crescent Bashar Murad thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Saudi’s aid agency KSrelief provided food and medical aid to displaced and wounded Palestinians in Gaza.

Murad said the aid was sent to the most impacted areas in Gaza and medical supplies provided by the Kingdom were given to the health ministry and hospitals in the area. 

As of Friday, over 24 Saudi aid planes arrived in Gaza through the Rafah crossing. 


Saudi space agency, Axiom Space sign development agreement 

Saudi space agency, Axiom Space sign development agreement 
Updated 01 December 2023
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Saudi space agency, Axiom Space sign development agreement 

Saudi space agency, Axiom Space sign development agreement 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Space Agency and Axiom Space signed an agreement to develop Saudi talent in the field of space.

Axiom Space, a company specializing in developing human spaceflight technologies, will provide training and on-the-job opportunities, in addition to exchanging knowledge, skills and expertise in the fields of human spaceflight.

The agreement was signed during a specialized Saudi delegations’s visit to the US headed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha.

This memorandum is expected to enhance educational and professional development opportunities for students and employees, deepen cooperation and maximize mutual benefit between the two sides, the Saudi Press Agency said.


Saudi defense minister holds talks with UN envoy to Yemen and Iranian military chief

Saudi defense minister holds talks with UN envoy to Yemen and Iranian military chief
Updated 01 December 2023
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Saudi defense minister holds talks with UN envoy to Yemen and Iranian military chief

Saudi defense minister holds talks with UN envoy to Yemen and Iranian military chief
  • ‘We reviewed the Kingdom’s efforts to support the peace process in Yemen,’ Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted after his meeting with envoy Hans Grundberg

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, and the UN’s special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Thursday discussed the latest developments in the conflict in Yemen.

“We reviewed the Kingdom’s efforts to support the peace process in Yemen, as well as the road map between the Yemeni sides to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution, under UN supervision,” the prince said in a message posted on social media site X after the meeting in Riyadh.

The Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, and the director general of the Office of the Minister of Defense, Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, were also present at the meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The UN participants included Linnea Hincks, special assistant to Grundberg; Roxaneh Bazergan, chief of political affairs in the envoy’s office; and April Alley, an adviser to the envoy.

Also on Thursday, Prince Khalid received a telephone call from Maj. Gen. Mohammed Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, during which they reviewed the relationship between their countries in military and defense fields and discussed issues of mutual concern.


Saudi reserve participates in SGI, COP28 conferences 

Saudi reserve participates in SGI, COP28 conferences 
Updated 30 November 2023
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Saudi reserve participates in SGI, COP28 conferences 

Saudi reserve participates in SGI, COP28 conferences 

RIYADH: Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Natural Reserve Development Authority is participating at the co-current Saudi Green Initiative Gallery and UN Climate Change Conference — COP28 — in Dubai, today. 

The reserve will showcase its drone-based program, the biggest of its kind, in protecting biodiversity in Saudi Arabia, for being more effective and efficient in environmental activities and having a lower carbon footprint, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. 

It has already contributed to raising the efficiency of environmental monitoring and protection teams by more than 220 percent.

Drones have also helped to cut carbon emissions by more than 66 percent by reducing dependence on fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

An interactive screen will also display details of the pioneering Vegetation Cover Evaluation Project, which uses remote-sensor technologies, as well as many initiatives dedicated to expanding the vegetation cover and afforestation. 

All of ITBA’s projects and initiatives are fully aligned with the national goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and dedicated to preserving the vegetation cover and biodiversity, including rare and endangered species, as part of broader environmental protection efforts.

The Saudi Green Initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions, plant 10 billion trees in the Kingdom over the next decades and protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

It is worth noting that IBTA spans more than 91,500 sq km, making it the second largest royal reserve in the Kingdom.

Known for its picturesque nature and biodiversity, the reserve is home to 138 wild species, including Rhim Gazelles, Oryxes, and more than 179 wild plants, including Ziziphus, Acacia and Arta trees.