Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The agreement, signed in Manama on September 3, moves Bahrain’s participation from confirmation and preparatory work into detailed planning and implementation. It was signed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, and Talal Al-Marri, chief executive officer of Expo 2030 Riyadh.
Under the contract, Bahrain can advance the organisational and operational work needed for its national presence, including pavilion development, programming and the design of experiences for visitors. Expo organisers said Bahrain is expected to develop a sustainable pavilion intended to remain after the event as part of the Global Village, one of the planned legacy components of the Riyadh site.
Sheikh Khalifa said Bahrain’s participation reflected the longstanding ties between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and expanding cooperation across several fields. He described the contract as an important stage in preparations and said Bahrain aimed to present its identity, achievements and future aspirations while using the Expo as a platform for cultural and knowledge exchange and partnership building.
Al-Marri said participation contracts were shifting countries from commitments to delivery, with pavilions, programmes and visitor experiences beginning to define the shape of the 2030 event. He said the organiser would work with Bahrain during the next phase as its plans were developed.
The Bahrain agreement is part of an early round of formal participation contracts being concluded more than four years before the Expo opens. France signed its contract in Paris in August, while Oman followed Bahrain with an agreement signed at the Expo site on September 6. Organisers said the pace of formalisation was unusually early for a World Expo.
More than 145 countries had confirmed participation by the time Bahrain signed its agreement. Expo 2030 Riyadh said on September 6 that the event is expected to bring together 197 official participants and record 42 million visits over its six-month run.
The contracts follow approval in June by the Bureau International des Expositions, the Paris-based intergovernmental body that oversees World Expos, of the Siège Agreement governing Expo 2030 Riyadh. That agreement defines the legal framework, rights, privileges and conditions applying to official participants and provides the institutional basis for countries and international organisations to finalise their involvement.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is scheduled to run from October 1, 2030, to March 31, 2031 under the theme “Foresight for Tomorrow”. National pavilions, cultural programmes, innovation showcases and immersive visitor experiences are planned as core elements of the event.
Construction and infrastructure work at the Expo site is continuing alongside operational planning. The organiser has been moving from broad participation commitments towards country-specific agreements that set out how national delegations will prepare, build and operate their presence in Riyadh.
Expo organisers have said the Global Village will be designed as a lasting district rather than a temporary exhibition area, allowing selected national pavilions to remain after the gates close. Bahrain’s expected pavilion is therefore being planned within a legacy model that links its six-month presentation to longer-term cultural and public use.
For Bahrain, the contract places the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities at the centre of the next stage of coordination. Sheikh Khalifa, who signed on behalf of the kingdom, said the country wanted a comprehensive national presence reflecting the scale of the event and the opportunities it offers for international exchange.
Saudi Arabia won the right to host the 2030 World Expo in a vote of the Bureau International des Expositions in November 2023. Riyadh’s bid defeated proposals from Rome and Busan, giving the Saudi capital responsibility for an event that will span six months and draw participating governments and organisations to a purpose-built site.
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