Saudi Arabia Hosts BIE Enquiry Mission for Riyadh Expo 2030

A delegation from Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Enquiry Mission arrived in Riyadh on Sunday to begin their six-day evaluation of Riyadh's candidacy for World Expo 2030. 

The Kingdom announced its bid to host the World Expo 2030 on October 31st and has presented three times to the BIE General Assembly since then. Riyadh submitted a robust bid dossier in September 2022 with their central theme as “Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow”.

The delegation is headed by Patrick Specht, President of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee. The delegation also includes BIE Secretary-General Dimitrios Kerkentzes, Eva Descarrega Garcia (Andorra), Karen-Mae Hill, OBE (Antigua and Barbuda), Aldwin Dekkers (Belgium) and additional members of the BIE Secretariat.

CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd Al-Rasheed said about the BIE Enquiry Mission "the visit will provide a first-hand opportunity for the delegates to witness the support of our leadership, the commitment of our government, and the excitement of the people of Riyadh and Saudi Arabia, to host a World Expo in our capital city in 2030.”

 The delegation will interact with ministers, members of the government, and subject matter experts in order to evaluate the bid for Riyadh Expo 2030.  The Enquiry Mission is a mandatory prerequisite for a country’s candidature to be considered for election. 

The evaluations of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE’s Executive Committee in May 2023 and Saudi Arabia will give a presentation in front of the General Assembly in June. At the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE in November 2023, BIE Member States will select the host country for the World Expo 2030 through a secret ballot.