Saudi Arabia, Italy, and South Korea are competing in Paris today, Tuesday, for the right to host the World Expo 2030, an event held every five years that attracts millions of visitors and billions of dollars in investments. In recent months, delegations from the three countries have been striving to win the votes of the 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The Saudi capital Riyadh is contending with Italy's Rome and South Korea's southeastern city of Busan.
Rome has focused heavily on human rights and democracy in its bid to host the Expo, presenting itself as a more ethical choice than Riyadh, which is widely seen as the frontrunner. The city's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, stated at a conference last week: "Rome is the most credible city for an Expo aimed at substantive sustainable development that respects human rights, diversity, dialogue, inclusion, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and labor unions."
The competition is fierce, and if Saudi Arabia wins, it will crown Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil dependency. Critics argue that Prince Mohammed is using the event to improve the kingdom's image following the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which Western leaders believe was ordered by the Crown Prince.
Riyadh received French support in the first round of voting, with Macron's advisors indicating that this was in exchange for Saudi assistance to Paris in matters at the heart of French diplomatic priorities. An European official mentioned that this relates to Lebanon without providing details. However, Macron's advisor indicated that this commitment is limited to the first round of voting, and more voting rounds will be necessary if no country secures a majority in the initial ballot.
Meanwhile, campaigns are intensifying in Paris. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a final push during his trip to Paris, stating that the Expo would be an opportunity for his country to give back to the world after benefiting from international aid following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally engaged in efforts to persuade international leaders to support Rome’s bid, giving it her full political backing. However, she is not scheduled to travel to Paris today, which some interpret as a sign that she believes Italy is likely to lose the race. Rome aims to use the Expo as a means to attract investment, similar to Milan’s successful hosting of Expo 2015. This was the last Expo organized in Europe, and Rome argues that it is fair for the continent to host it again in 2030, considering that Dubai hosted it in 2020 and Osaka, Japan, is set to host it in 2025.
