Riyadh-2030 : Eyeing World Expo 2030, Riyadh to pump in billions to become global metropolis

 

Davos : With an eye on hosting the World Expo 2030 with a USD 8 billion bid, Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh has put in motion a mega makeover plan with construction work worth USD 400 billion underway to become a global mega city.       Riyadh is in contention for hosting the mega fair in 2030, as are Busan in South Korea, Odessa in Ukraine and Rome in Italy. The winner will be selected on the basis of voting by eligible countries and should be known by November this year.       Fahd Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission of Riyadh City who was here for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023, said he is confident of winning the bid, but the makeover process is anyway underway as he wants Riyadh to become a global city in the true sense.    Speaking with a select group of journalists, Al-Rasheed said Riyadh can be a perfect host for the Expo 2030 with a USD 250 billion economy and being the 40th largest city in the world.

The city with a population of 8 million people has been growing fast and is witnessing huge infrastructure building activities.

Projects worth USD 400 billion are already underway here, which includes the world’s largest metro network and a new airport and several new hotels and the USD 8 billion estimated cost for hosting the expo is nothing in comparison, he said.  The new airport will have a capacity to handle 120 million passengers a year.