Attendees wearing traditional dress arrive at the Grand Palais Ephemere for the Riyadh 2030 ... [+]
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Riyadh has the insider track to host a World Expo that could set the stage for global business in the 21st century regarding sustainability. Business leaders should sit up and take note. Riyadh is facing off against Rome and Busan. With a core focus on sustainability, Riyadh's bid has been praised for its commitment to leaving a lasting legacy.
Though the capital city of Saudi Arabia has gone all out in its campaign with its core focus on sustainability and available resources the final vote on the site of the 2030 Expo will be more like a coronation.
To be sure World Expos have left big impacts on the world stage from the triumphal to important consumer goods. The Eiffel Tower in Paris became the defining structure of that city. Conversely, the unveiling of Cherry Coke in 1982 introduced a beverage still enjoyed around the world to this day. With that in mind business leaders would do well to at least keep and eye on headline innovations around Riyadh Expo part of which will focus on the “World of 2050.” The Expo will be titled: “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow.” While there will be other opportunities business leaders involved in the arena of sustainability pay attention.
The proposed Expo site is planned to be a model of sustainable urban development, and the Kingdom has pledged to plant 10 million trees in the Riyadh area in the lead-up to the event. This is part of a larger Saudi push to plant 10 billion trees. It will be connected to Riyadh airport and the city itself through mass transit.
The expo site itself will be spread across 6 million square meters and will be influenced by traditional Arab gardening techniques and other ancient climate mitigation techniques. The resulting veritable garden will also be a reminder of the precious biodiversity at stake if we don’t get climate change correct.
The Expo 2030 bid is a reflection of Saudi Arabia's transformation under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The bid is also a testament to the Kingdom's ambition to play a leading role in the global community. It also plays to a little appreciated strength of Saudi Arabia – geography as a country at the corner of three continents so to speak. Saudi Arabia lets in millions of visitors each year on temporary visas for Hajj or sports so the 40 million visitors forecast to attend the Expo. CEOS should consider the expo as one opportunity to unveil products infront of a truly global audience.
Riyadh has the potential to be the first Arab capital city to host a World Expo. This would be a major milestone in the Kingdom's history and would cap an incredible decade of transformation in Saudi Arabia. Part of that is about inclusivity and remarkable changes that have seen women get behind the wheel in so many ways in Saudi society – including literally.
The 2010 Shanghai World Expo generated over $50 billion in economic activity and created over 1 million jobs. The expo also helped to promote the development of Shanghai's Pudong district, which is now a major financial and business centre. More than anything the Shanghai World Expo was a coming out party for China on the world stage. Will the same happen for Saudi Arabia? That’s something to think about over a cherry coke.
