What does Saudi Arabia hosting of Expo 2030 mean for its economy?

Winning the rights to host the world fair follows news that the kingdom will likely host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, among several other major events.
Expo 2020
Performers present the closing ceremony of Expo 2020 Dubai on March 31, 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The world's fair was postponed from its original date of October 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. - Francois Nel/Getty Images
Adam Lucente headshot (new)
Adam Lucente
@Adam_Lucente

Saudi Arabia was awarded the 2030 World Expo on Tuesday, constituting another victory for the kingdom in its quest to become a center of global events.

The Bureau International des Expositions announced on X that Saudi Arabia won with 119 votes compared to South Korea’s 29 and Italy’s 17. The event will be hosted in the capital Riyadh. 

The bureau is an intergovernmental organization that supervises world expos every five years. The events are world fairs designed to display the accomplishments of participating countries.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more