Riyadh secured the right to host World Expo 2030 with 119 votes out of 165 cast, more than the two-thirds majority needed to win outright in the first round. The result, delivered by secret ballot at the Bureau International des Expositions’ General Assembly in Paris on 28 November 2023, was the end point of a bidding process that took years and narrowed an initial field of five interested countries down to three on the ballot.
The candidacy stage
Countries wanting to host a World Expo must submit a candidacy dossier six to nine years ahead of the proposed opening (five to six years for a smaller Specialised Expo). The dossier sets out the theme, host city, dates and the level of government backing behind the bid. The BIE then sends enquiry missions to each candidate country to assess the project’s feasibility, its site, its logistics and its public support before member states vote.
Five hopefuls, three on the ballot
Five countries initially expressed interest in hosting the 2030 edition. Russia’s bid for Moscow was withdrawn in May 2022 following international reaction to the invasion of Ukraine. Four countries went on to submit formal candidature dossiers: South Korea for Busan, Italy for Rome, Ukraine for Odesa and Saudi Arabia for Riyadh. By the time of the final vote on 28 November 2023, three candidates remained on the ballot: Busan, Rome and Riyadh.
One country, one vote
The host country is elected by BIE member states through a secret ballot, cast electronically, on a one-country-one-vote basis regardless of a country’s size or financial contribution to the organisation. Deliberations are only valid once two-thirds of the countries entitled to vote are present in the room, a quorum rule meant to ensure the result reflects the Bureau’s full membership rather than whoever happens to show up.
How the majority rule works
With more than two candidates on the ballot, a country needs a two-thirds majority of votes cast to win outright in the first round. If nobody reaches that threshold, the lowest-placed candidate is eliminated and the remaining candidates go to another round. That process repeats until only two candidates are left, at which point the winner needs only a simple majority.
The 28 November result
Riyadh took 119 votes, Busan 29 and Rome 17, out of 165 votes cast by the BIE’s roughly 182 member states. Riyadh’s tally cleared the two-thirds threshold comfortably, so the contest ended in the first round with no need for an elimination runoff. Each bid had campaigned on a distinct theme: Busan’s was ‘Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future’, Rome’s was ‘People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation’, and Riyadh’s was ‘The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow’, later shortened in Expo 2030’s own branding to ‘Foresight for Tomorrow’.
For how the BIE’s oversight continues after a host is chosen, see The BIE: who approves what. For the wider procurement picture once a host is confirmed, see Tender & Procurement Guide. For live developments, see the intelligence feed, countries and the timeline.