黑料社区 brings curtain down on Dubai Expo pavilion 鈥� with eye on Expo 2030 in Riyadh

A dazzling closing ceremony brought the curtain down on the Saudi pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 as KSA launched an ambitious bid to host Expo 2030. (Supplied)
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  • The Saudi Pavilion was the most visited at Expo 2020 Dubai, hosting more than 4.8 million visitors
  • At Monday night鈥檚 closing ceremony, the Kingdom reinforced its desire and readiness to host Expo 2030

DUBAI: 黑料社区 lowered the curtain on its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion on Monday, and looked to raise another one 鈥� by hosting Expo 2030 in Riyadh.

On an evening of spectacle, as Saudi dancers performed traditional and contemporary routines in front of the pavilion鈥檚 striking architectural fa莽ade, the Kingdom reinforced its desire and readiness to bring the global event home.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Saudi bid in October 2021, and the formal application was submitted to the Bureau International des Expositions in December.

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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Saudi bid for Expo 2030 in October 2021, and the formal application was submitted to the Bureau International des Expositions in December.

鈥淎s we continue our expo journey toward Expo 2030, we will grow the expo team from 300 to 34 million people as our whole nation mobilizes behind our efforts,鈥� Fahd Abdulmohsen Al-Rasheed, chief executive of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, said at the closing ceremony in Dubai on Monday.

The event, attended by dignitaries and VIPs, celebrated the success of the pavilion over the past six months. 鈥淲hat a pavilion and what an experience it was,鈥� Al-Rasheed said. 鈥淚t was the colors, the landscapes, the diversity, the authenticity, the heritage, the modernity 鈥� I could see under one roof everything that we are all as a nation working toward.鈥�

The pavilion鈥檚 dramatic sloping structure features a fa莽ade representing the idea of a large window open to the future. 鈥淚t has become a recognizable landmark with a strong foundation rooted in heritage rising toward the sky,鈥� said Hussain Hanbazaza, the pavilion鈥檚 commissioner general.

The pavilion was the most visited at Expo 2020, with more than 4.8 million people passing through its doors. Its architecture and design, and its programming over the past six months, aimed to represent the social, cultural and economic change that is taking place in the Kingdom as a result of the Vision 2030 reform agenda.

鈥淭his is a statement about our readiness to open our hearts and doors to the rest of the world, and to the limitless potential of the Kingdom of 黑料社区,鈥� Hanbazaza said.

Al-Rasheed said Riyadh was a global capital, and two thirds of its people were under the age of 30. 鈥淚ts streets, corners, offices and parks are bustling with youthful energy,鈥� he told guests at the closing ceremony.

鈥淲e know that the world of 2030 will be different, we know that it will be better. Our capital Riyadh is preparing to host you and the world. But to get there, we need to work together.鈥�