Preparations for Expo 2030 Riyadh have moved forward on several tracks in recent months, spanning residential development, international participation, tourism promotion, and site construction.

The developments reflect activity across the commercial, diplomatic, promotional and construction dimensions of Expo 2030 Riyadh's preparation. The global event is scheduled to run from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031, under the theme "Foresight for Tomorrow", with organisers anticipating participation from 197 official delegations and more than 42 million visitors.

The largest announcement was in September, a ⃁ 3.2 billion joint venture between Expo 2030 Riyadh and Mohammad Al Habib Real Estate Company (MAHR) to develop Expo Village, the residential community intended to house official participants and delegations during the event. The agreement is the first joint venture Expo 2030 Riyadh has signed for a residential development, with additional residential projects expected as part of the Expo's post-event legacy phase.

The Expo Village will include around 2,300 residential apartments, with capacity for roughly 5,500 residents, alongside retail, dining, amenities, and operational facilities. It is designed to connect to the Expo site, King Khalid International Airport, and the wider Riyadh transport network, including a dedicated Expo metro station.

The development is intended to be usable during the six-month Expo and then converted into a permanent residential community afterward, incorporating climate-responsive design and efficient building systems. The agreement was signed at the Expo 2030 Riyadh site, with organisers noting that design and site preparation work had already been completed, allowing construction to begin according to the approved schedule.

The deal comes after Expo 2030 Riyadh awarded two new main utilities and infrastructure work packages to Al Yamama Company, building on a package awarded to Nesma & Partners in December for initial infrastructure work.

The packages cover the construction of internal road networks and smart mobility systems, along with core utility infrastructure spanning water, sewage, electricity, telecommunications, and electric vehicle charging.

This will form the foundation for subsequent construction of pavilions and other structures across the site, which spans six million square metres north of Riyadh, near the planned King Salman International Airport. Contract values and detailed timelines for the new packages were not disclosed. The awards follow a roughly ⃁ 1 billion contract given to Nesma & Partners.

FRANCE IS FIRST OFFICIAL PARTICIPANT

Separately, France became the first country to sign a formal Participation Contract for Expo 2030 Riyadh, in a ceremony held in Paris. The contract establishes the location, size and theme of the France Pavilion, which will sit in the Expo's "Planet" district under the theme "Under One Sky". The pavilion will be structured around four elements – sky, earth, fire, and water – and is intended to highlight French capabilities in areas linked to environmental protection and ecological transition, alongside broader cultural and business content.

The contract followed an earlier agreement, which set out the general terms and conditions available to all official participants and provides the template from which individual country contracts, including France's, are drawn. France's signing is described by organisers as an early indicator of international momentum ahead of further participation agreements expected from other countries and organisations. Since then, several countries including neighbouring Bahrain and Oman have signed up to participate. With agreements being signed more than four years ahead of the Expo’s opening, Expo 2030 Riyadh is setting an unprecedented pace in the history of World Expos for the early formalisation of participation.

BOOSTING TOURISM

Expo 2030 Riyadh also recently signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Saudi Tourism Authority, aimed at linking Expo to the country's broader tourism sector. The agreement commits both organisations to jointly develop tourism activities and products intended to attract visitors to the Expo, to promote Saudi Arabia in targeted international markets, and to coordinate marketing and media campaigns.

The partnership also covers coordination on visitor experience planning and the exchange of data and information between the two organisations. The stated aim is to ensure that visits generated by the Expo translate into broader travel activity across Saudi Arabia, rather than remaining limited to the Expo site itself. The agreement is described as part of the kingdom's wider tourism growth strategy, under which Expo 2030 Riyadh is positioned as one of several large-scale projects intended to expand the country's hospitality and visitor infrastructure.