Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been crowned the host city for the Expo 2030 world fair. The kingdom’s capital beat out Busan, South Korea, and Rome, Italy, for the honor of hosting the international event, which takes place every five years and brings in billions of dollars from its millions of attendees.
According to results from the 182-member Bureau International des Expositions, Riyadh earned 119 votes, while Busan won 29 and Rome, 17. As part of its lobbying efforts to help win over the needed two-thirds of voters, Riyadh used Al-Nassr Saudi football star Cristiano Ronaldo in its marketing video that was shown prior to the vote, which took place in Paris, where BIE is located.
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Riyadh plans to hold Expo 2030 between October 2030 and March 2031.
This diplomatic achievement follows developments that leave Saudi Arabia as the sole bidder to host the 2034 men’s FIFA World Cup. Both accomplishments align with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 program, which aspires to reduce the country’s dependency on oil.