Expo 2030 Riyadh, Rome only third: goodbye to 50 billion euros

Expo 2030 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Meeting today in Paris, delegates from member states of the Bureau International des Expositions cast 119 votes in favor of the Saudi city in the first round, more than two-thirds enough to avoid a second round. Busan is second with 29 votes. There was disappointment for Rome, which aimed to get at least 40/50 votes in the second round, but came third with 17 preferences.

It is a serious blow to the image of even European countries that vote for others. Farewell to nearly 50 billion euros in funding and thousands of jobs for Rome and Italy. This is also the fault of an “election campaign” that started late and did not have sufficient political direction.

“I am grateful to the nearly 130 countries that have already announced their support for the Kingdom’s candidacy for Expo 2030,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said in his speech while presenting Riyadh’s candidacy as the hub of Expo 2030. Seven years. Cristiano Ronaldo, who appeared in a clip released during the presentation of the Saudi capital, also took to the field to support the candidacy: “My family and I are having a lot of fun here,” continued Cr7, who plays in the Saudi championship, underlining that Riyadh is “an incredible city and ready to host you all.”

On paper, the Saudi city was the favourite, but Roma tried to play their cards to the hilt, even if Giorgia Meloni only appeared in one video clip. With the theme “People and regions: renewal, participation and innovation”, Italy had invited the countries of the world to meet in Rome, which “can be a home for everyone” and “has always been a laboratory that reproduces the coexistence of identities”. So much so that it was a gamble that didn’t pay off, leaving behind the Republic of Korea’s project proposing Busan as “a new era of cooperation” and “the epicenter where global youth can come together, share ideas, and build a stronger community.” spherical”.

But there is nothing to be done against Saudi oil dollars: with the theme “Age of change: together for a forward-thinking tomorrow”, Saudi Arabia has proposed to hold the 2030 Universal Exhibition in Riyadh, “the beating heart of a young country”. and a dynamic experiencing unprecedented transformation.”

Source: Today IT

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