Saudi Expo 2030 to offer major opportunities for French businesses, says official

Saudi Expo 2030 in Riyadh will present a huge opportunity for French businesses to land deals in sectors including aerospace, health care and green energy, according to the French Trade and Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East.

In November, the Saudi capital won the right to host the Expo 2030 world trade fair. The South Korean city of Busan and Italy's Rome were competing to host the event that attracts millions of visitors and billions of dollars in inward investment. The voting took place in Paris, where the 182 of the Bureau International des Expositions cast their ballots, with Saudi Arabia coming up on top.

Expo 2020 was held in Dubai while next year's event will be in Osaka, Japan. Even though Expo 2020 was delayed by the pandemic, it is still predicted to add 154.9 billion dinars ($42.2 billion) to the UAE economy between 2013 to 2042, according to a March 2023 study.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Axel Baroux, who is also regional managing director for Middle East at Business France, said, “Expo 2030 in Saudi Arabia represents for us a landmark event that will unlock a wide area of opportunities for French businesses. There are several ways where French businesses can be part of the kingdom's development and also benefit Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and France."