Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa backs Saudi bid to host Expo 2030

Five countries — ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and Russia — are competing to host the global event. (SPA)
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  • COMESA’s acting Secretary-General Dev Haman praised ºÚÁÏÉçÇøâ€™s tireless efforts in seeking to consolidate its relations with all African countries

RIYADH: The chief of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Thursday expressed the organization’s support for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøâ€™s bid to host Expo 2030, stressing that the Kingdom possesses great capabilities that enable it to hold a historic and successful version with the highest levels of innovation.

During a meeting with Saudi Royal Court Adviser Ahmed Qattan in Zambia, COMESA’s acting Secretary-General Dev Haman praised ºÚÁÏÉçÇøâ€™s tireless efforts in seeking to consolidate its relations with all African countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He also welcomed the first Saudi-African Summit and the Fifth Arab-African Summit to be held in Riyadh.

Adviser Qattan stressed that the inaugural Saudi-African summit emanates from the Kingdom’s keenness to enhance partnerships with all African countries.

He also commended African states’ support for the Saudi Expo bid.

Five countries — ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and Russia — are competing to host the global event.

Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Djibouti, Morocco and Cameroon were among other countries who earlier pledged full support for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøâ€™s bid to host the event. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation pitched its backing of Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030.

Dubai hosted the most recent expo – from Oct. 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022 – while the next one will be held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan between April to October 2025.