by organizing the 2030 Universal Exhibition, the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is undergoing its transformation

The International Exhibition Bureau decided this Tuesday on the organizing city of the 2030 World Expo. The capital of Saudi Arabia came well ahead of the votes, ahead of Rome (Italy) and Busan (South Korea).

A plebiscite. The general assembly of the International Exhibition Bureau, based in Paris, designated this Tuesday, November 28, the organizing city of the International Expo 2030. Among the candidate cities, there was Rome for Italy, Busan for South Korea and Riyadh for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi candidacy, supported by France, the overwhelming favorite, was finally nominated in the first round, with an overwhelming majority of 119 votes, compared to 29 for Busan and 17 for Rome.

For several years, Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom, has been changing its face. Mega projects are multiplying: new airport, new residential district with one million residences, creation of Qiddiya, a city devoted to leisure and entertainment. A 135-kilometer sports boulevard, which will accommodate cycle paths and sports facilities, is currently being built.

At a time of global warming, Riyadh wants to become a green city with Salman Park in the center, whose surface area is equivalent to that of the Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes combined. Adnane Dawalibi is a Franco-Saudi architect: “There alone, there will be two million trees planted. In total we are talking about seven to eight million in total in Riyadh, including the green flows. So the theory is that once the project is completed, the temperatures will drop by two degrees in Riyadh.”

Riyadh dreams of becoming a world capital of entertainment, to beat Dubai. Sport is a major vector. The construction of a Formula One circuit is planned. And then there is football: Riyadh can count on a prestigious ambassador in Cristiano Ronaldo, hired at a high price in the al-Nassr club. He already has a museum to his glory. And on match nights, there are now supporters like Noura who come to applaud his exploits: “My whole family supports al-Nassr! The first times I went to the stadium was in 2019 but in Riyadh it was banned. I am very happy with all these changes, especially for the future of my children.”

Beyond the 2030 Universal Exhibition, Riyadh and Saudi Arabia have another objective: the organization of the Football World Cup in 2034, where only the kingdom’s candidacy is in the running.