Members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Enquiry Mission arrived in Riyadh on March 5 to start their 6-day evaluation process of the Riyadh candidacy for World Expo 2030. The BIE delegation is headed by Patrick Specht, chairperson of the Enquiry Mission and president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee. He is accompanied by Dimitrios Kerkentzes, secretary general of the BIE, and Eva Descarrega Garcia (Andorra), Karen-Mae Hill, OBE (Antigua and Barbuda), Aldwin Dekkers (Belgium) and additional members of the BIE Secretariat. Welcoming the Enquiry Mission's visit to Riyadh, Fahd Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, declared: "We are honored to welcome the BIE Enquiry Mission to Saudi Arabia. "This visit will provide a first-hand opportunity for the delegates to witness the support of our leadership, the commitment of our government, and the excitement of the people of Riyadh and Saudi Arabia, to host a World Expo in our capital city in 2030." "Riyadh submitted a robust bid dossier last September under the main theme 'Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow', and its candidacy is currently enjoying global support," added Al-Rasheed. Over the course of the next five days, members of the Enquiry Mission will engage with ministers, members of government and subject matter experts, to evaluate the details of the Riyadh Expo 2030 bid. Its theme outlines a vision to create a unique and collaborative platform for global problem solving with an enduring legacy, led by foresight and geared towards delivering impact at a global scale. The Enquiry Mission is a mandatory prerequisite for a country's candidature to be considered for election. Its task, when visiting a candidate city, is to assess the feasibility and viability of each one. This assessment includes detailed presentations of the project and exchanges with officials and key stakeholders involved in the candidature. Using the candidature dossier as a guide, each Enquiry Mission will look into the motivations behind the Expo candidature, the attractiveness of the proposed Expo theme, the proposed site and its planned re-use after the Expo, levels of local and national support for the project, expected participation, and the financial feasibility plan. The findings of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE's Executive Committee in May 2023, which will decide which candidatures to retain as being feasible and viable. In November 2023, at the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE, the host country of World Expo 2030 will be elected by BIE member states, via a secret ballot and based on the principle of "one country, one vote". Saudi Arabia announced its bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh in October 2021 and, since then, senior Saudi government officials have made three presentations to the BIE General Assembly. The year 2023 will see key milestones for Riyadh Expo 2030 with the current Enquiry Mission visit, a presentation to the General Assembly in June and the final vote by the General Assembly in November 2023. — SPA
