Riyadh awarded major infrastructure contracts as Expo 2030 accelerates

Expo 2030 Riyadh awarded multiple infrastructure contracts this week, with Nesma & Partners, Al-Yamamah and Al Yamamah Steel each securing major construction packages as site development accelerates ahead of the 2030 opening.

• Buro Happold was appointed as lead designer, moving the masterplan into its next phase. The Expo 2030 Commissioner General led a Saudi delegation at the BIE meeting on 23 April, where the registration dossier received approval.

• Strategic partnerships were signed between Expo 2030 Riyadh and the Saudi Tourism Authority, the FII Institute and the Saudi Media Forum, extending coordination across tourism, investment and communications.

• Switzerland confirmed its participation, joining an expanding roster of international commissioners. The formal BIE flag handover ceremony took place in Osaka, cementing Riyadh’s status as the next host city.

• Construction cost inflation emerged as a secondary concern, with Saudi input prices rising at their fastest pace in two years, potentially affecting contract execution timelines.

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