Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member states yesterday elected Saudi Arabia as the host country of World Expo 2030 during the 173rd General Assembly of the organisation held in France.
A two-thirds majority of member states voted for Saudi Arabia’s project to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh under the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow,” between 1 October 2030 and 31 March 2031. Three countries were in the running to host World Expo 2030.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the other candidates were the Republic of South Korea (Busan) with the theme “Transforming our world, navigating toward a better future” and Italy (Rome) with the theme, “People and territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation.”
Following the announcement of the results, BIE Secretary General, Dimitri Kerkentzes congratulated Saudi Arabia.
“On behalf of the BIE, I offer my warm congratulations to Saudi Arabia on its election as the host country of World Expo 2030. In the coming years, we look forward to working closely with Saudi Arabia to bring the world together in Riyadh under the theme, “The era of change: Together for a foresighted tomorrow.”
Eligible and present member states, represented by government-appointed delegates, elected the host country in a secret ballot using an electronic voting system on the principle of one country, one vote.
Saudi Arabia was elected after securing 119 votes in the first round. Its win was outright as it received the two-thirds majority required, thereby doing away with the need for a second round of voting. Italy garnered 17 votes while 29 countries voted for South Korea. There were no abstentions.
World Expos, which are officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations addressing universal contemporary challenges. They are held every five years and each exhibition runs for six months. The most recent World Expo, Expo 2020 Dubai, took place under the theme “Connecting minds, creating the future,” and received over 24 million visitors. The next World Expo, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, will take place between 13 April and 13 October 2025 in Japan, under the theme, “Designing future society for our lives.”
