Saudi Arabia unveils Riyadh Expo 2030 master plan

The 226 exhibition pavilions have been meticulously designed in a spherical shape, featuring an equator line running through them

by Divsha Bhat

June 22, 2023

Image credit: Saudi Press Agency

Saudi Arabia has unveiled the master plan for Riyadh Expo 2030, under the theme, “Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.”

Riyadh Expo 2030 will be conveniently located near the under-development King Salman International Airport, ensuring easy access for visitors.

Using “Riyadh Metro” network, which covers all areas of the city, attendees can swiftly reach the exhibition site through any of the three entrances connected to the modern road network.

The 226 exhibition pavilions have been meticulously designed in a spherical shape, featuring an equator line running through them. This visual concept harmonises with the exhibition’s vision, guaranteeing equal opportunities for all participants.

The design of the pavilions reflects the ancient urban style, rich history, vibrant culture and the natural beauty of Riyadh city.

Moreover, it serves as a platform to showcase the kingdom’s shared concern with the global community regarding climate issues, as well as its ambitious vision for a future brimming with potential.

The pavilions’ locations for participating countries at the exhibition will be flexibly determined based on their longitudes. Such design will bring together countries from the north and south of the globe side by side, symbolising the kingdom’s important role in facilitating global cooperation, stated Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia Unveils Master Plan for Riyadh Expo 2030.https://t.co/O4U4jwILBc #SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/wVIVPc6uHr

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This will facilitate visitors’ journeys and ensure easy movement between pavilions, public squares, cultural and innovation facilities, food services, rest, and waiting areas in a smooth and flexible manner while covering very short distances.

Moreover, visitors to the exhibition will enjoy strolling through fully shaded corridors with designs inspired by Riyadh’s architectural heritage.

In addition, visitors can stroll through a modern green oasis located within one of the tributaries of Wadi As-Sulai, which passes through the exhibition site.

A major landmark at Riyadh Expo 2030

Meanwhile, a prominent landmark will be built at Riyadh Expo 2030, symbolising “Responsibility for Protecting the Planet.” It will be based on 195 columns representing the number of countries participating in the exhibition. Surrounding this landmark will be three pavilions, each representing the exhibition’s sub-themes of “Prosperity for All,” “Climate Action.” and “A Different Tomorrow.”

The exhibition will also feature the Collaborative Change Corner (C3), an area that will drive innovation and creativity during the seven-year journey leading up to and beyond Riyadh Expo 2030.

The C3 aims to showcase how collaboration among the smartest minds in scientific, social, and intellectual innovations can accelerate the changes that will shape our future.

A member of the blueprint team for the Riyadh Expo 2030, Lamia Bint Abdulaziz stated: “The blueprint will work on developing a version of the Expo that is the most flexible when it comes to visitors’ movement at the site; and the most interactive, collaborative, and sustainable ever, and we will make sure to provide an exceptional experience for visitors to the exhibition.

We will also work on enabling full and balanced participation, and with added value for all participating countries, and we will provide unprecedented experience of high quality for more than 40 million visitors.”

“The Riyadh Expo 2030 is inspired by the natural and traditional features, as it was designed around a valley surrounded by a group of pavilions for each country, and provides all participating countries with unlimited opportunities, as the exhibition plan offers a wide range of pavilions of different sizes and types with a commitment to allocate a pavilion for each country,” she said.

She also said that the exhibition will include rich technical opportunities for cultural and professional development, adding, “We are planning to launch a participating laboratory in Osaka Expo 2025 and it will continue to help countries deal with recurring challenges in the preparatory period for Riyadh Expo 2030.”

Meanwhile, Expo blueprint team member Nouf Bint Majid Al-Muneef added: “Our goal in the kingdom is to organise the first environmentally friendly exhibition that achieves a zero level of carbon emissions.

The Riyadh Expo 2030 site will be powered by clean resources that rely on solar energy, and we are developing high standards for resource efficiencies and detailed strategies to enhance biodiversity, eliminate food waste, and ensure green waste management and recycling.”

“We will enable and help finance and build various partnerships that enhance the development phase and the objectives of the exhibition, based on the collaborative angle of change that we call the tripartite vision, as we will finance and incubate it in order to build international projects starting from 2025,” she added.

The kingdom has announced that it aims to make the Riyadh Expo 2030 the most sustainable and influential Expo ever, in line with its climate commitments to achieving carbon neutrality, a goal that is clearly reflected in the master plan for the exhibition that is linked to international standards of sustainability, including urban afforestation, the use of treated water, and the provision of new energy sources.

The blueprint for the design of the exhibition also takes into account the reuse of the site with the aim of developing an innovative urban model that guarantees sustainability and enhances innovation and creativity.