• Ceremony is an important part of the nomination procedure for countries to host the expo

Arab News

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will participate in Saudi Arabia’s official reception to present its candidacy to host Expo 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The reception for representatives of 179 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, which organizes the expo, will be held on Monday in Paris.

The ceremony is an important part of the nomination procedure for countries to host the expo. 

Saudi Arabia aims to showcase Riyadh’s readiness and plans to host the global event. 

Voting will take place in November to choose the host city.

The reception, which is being held by the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, includes an exhibition that showcases the cultural depth of the Kingdom and its capital.

The exhibition will take visitors through a virtual journey in Riyadh in 2030, starting with arriving at King Salman International Airport and then a tour of the most prominent landmarks such as the Sports Boulevard, King Salman Park, Diriyah Gate and Qiddiya. 

The reception will be attended by a high-ranking Saudi delegation, members of the international diplomatic corps based in Paris, ambassadors of countries accredited to UNESCO, representatives of major participating entities and projects, representatives of member states of the Bureau International des Expositions, and senior French government and private sector officials.

Riyadh would be a “smart and visionary choice” to host the World Expo in 2030, Jack Lang, president of the Arab World Institute and France’s former minister of culture, told Arab News in a recent interview. 

Lang, who has long been a vocal supporter of close cultural ties between France and Saudi Arabia, said staging the global event in the Kingdom’s “extraordinary capital” would have huge symbolic significance for the Arab region and would highlight recent Saudi achievements.