Just a few hours remain before the highly anticipated unveiling of the final result today, determining the winning city that will host Expo 2030. This exciting competition involves three cities vying for the honor: Riyadh, Rome, and South Korea’s Busan.Â
The announcement revealing the name of the winning city will take place in Paris during the 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). Prior to the announcement, the participating countries’ delegates will present the final details of their three bids for the Expo. With anticipation building, the Saudis, Italians, and Koreans eagerly await the outcome to determine which city emerges victorious.
Read more: Riyadh invests in infrastructure ahead of Expo 2030
The selection of the winning city by BIE will be determined through an electronic ballot involving the 180 Member States, with each country having one vote. Amidst the competitive bids from the three countries, Saudi Arabia’s chances of hosting Expo 2030 have been bolstered by several compelling data points.
According to BIE regulations, a country is not allowed to host the exhibition within a 15-year period. Considering that Italy hosted the exhibition in 2015 and Korea secured the victory in the 2012 edition, Riyadh stands out with a remarkable opportunity to emerge as the winner.
The timing of this opportunity aligns with Vision 2030, marking Saudi’s transformation into what Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described as the greatest success story of the 21st century during his recent meeting.
Simultaneously, if Riyadh wins the bid to host Expo 2030, the event’s scale and magnitude present an opportunity to accomplish two crucial pillars of public diplomacy: communication and influence. Faisal AlHowail, a public diplomacy adviser, expounded on this, highlighting that Riyadh’s hosting would enable effective engagement across three key channels: individuals, institutions, and media.
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