RIYADH — The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Dimitri Kerkentzis arrived here and focused on reviewing the exhibition and coordinating the preparation of the registration file for Expo 2030 Riyadh.

This was his first visit to Riyadh since the election of Saudi Arabia, in November 2023, as host country for World Expo 2030. The visit lasted four days.

Since the election of Saudi Arabia on Nov. 28, 2023, during the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE, preparations have been coordinated at the highest level to prepare for the World Expo.

The file will present a detailed Expo implementation plan, including legislative and financial measures, the Expo site master plan, and legacy plans.

Once the file is submitted to the BIE and reviewed by member states, the General Assembly will be able to officially register Expo 2030 Riyadh.

This will then allow Saudi Arabia to invite international participants through diplomatic channels and begin preparations in earnest.

Kerkentzis said: “Saudi Arabia, at all levels, has demonstrated its firm commitment to cooperating with the International Bureau of Exhibitions and its member states to achieve a real success for Expo 2030 Riyadh.”

He also said: I'm excited to enter the next chapter of this story as the filing comes together and as the project gains momentum.

The exhibition, which is to be organized under the slogan “Era of Change: Together for an Enlightened Tomorrow,” aims to welcome 197 countries and 29 international organizations from Oct. 1, 2030, to March 31, 2031.

In June, a delegation from Saudi Arabia will present a progress report on Expo 2030 Riyadh to the member states of the Bureau International des Expositions, during the organization’s 174th General Assembly.