In the vast sand sea north of Riyadh, hundreds of bulldozers are roaring day and night, transforming a golden desert into a stage for carrying human dreams. By the third quarter of 2026, this area will officially break ground and become the core park of the 2030 Riyadh World Expo. This largest international event in the Middle East has fully entered the construction fast lane -25% of the land has been leveled, 197 countries from around the world have confirmed participation, and it is expected to attract 42 million tourists with a total investment of up to 64 billion US dollars, fully promoted by the Saudi sovereign fund PIF. When the desert rises as the window to the world, Riyadh is defining the next decade in the Middle East with a grand event.

The key leap from blueprint to entity

Murad Al Sayed, Chief Delivery Officer of Riyadh Expo 2030, recently revealed that the main buildings of the park, including the Saudi Pavilion symbolizing the country's image and the landmark themed exhibition hall, will officially break ground in the third quarter of 2026. At the same time, the construction of exhibition halls in various countries will also be launched gradually in the middle of the year, marking the comprehensive transition of this global event from pre preparation to physical construction stage.

As of now, over 1.5 million square meters of land in the park have been leveled, accounting for a quarter of the total area. Four local Saudi companies have been awarded contracts for site preparation and infrastructure construction; In November 2025, Binya Company, a subsidiary of PIF's Akyaria Group, signed a preliminary engineering framework agreement, fully demonstrating the deep implementation of the sand specialization strategy in major projects.

To ensure that technical standards are in line with international standards, the World Expo has introduced top teams to provide support: Becher from the United States serves as the project management consultant, and Boro Hapold from the United Kingdom is responsible for overall planning and design of public areas, landscapes, and public facilities. The addition of two major international engineering giants will provide a solid guarantee for the Riyadh World Expo to benchmark global benchmarks such as Dubai 2020 and Shanghai 2010 in terms of sustainability and operational efficiency.

Reshaping the Economic and Urban Landscape of the Middle East

The World Expo is located on a 6 million square meter plot north of Riyadh, adjacent to the under construction King Salman International Airport, with significant transportation advantages. The entire park will be divided into five themed areas, accommodating 197 countries and 29 international organizations to participate, and is expected to receive over 42 million visitors - a figure equivalent to 120% of Saudi Arabia's total population.

According to the Public Investment Fund, the construction period of the World Expo will contribute $64 billion to Saudi Arabia's GDP and directly create 171000 job opportunities. More importantly, the project will accelerate the development of Riyadh's northern new city, promoting the acceleration of high-end hotel, exhibition, logistics, and digital infrastructure clusters.

Unlike temporary exhibitions, the Riyadh World Expo has clearly defined the principle of sustainable use from the planning stage. After the closing ceremony in 2031, the park will be transformed into an intelligent new city that integrates residential, office, scientific research, and cultural activities, becoming the physical carrier of a vibrant society and prosperous economy in the 2030 vision, achieving a magnificent transformation from "a grand event" to "a new city".

Chinese enterprises embrace historic opportunities

With the accelerated pace of contract awards in 2026, areas such as civil engineering, steel structures, curtain walls, electromechanical systems, and smart park systems will face intensive bidding. Chinese enterprises have rich experience in the construction of large-scale international exhibitions, and have deeply participated in top events such as the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai World Expo, and Qatar World Cup, possessing significant advantages in cost, efficiency, and full chain integration.

It is worth noting that this World Expo emphasizes carbon neutrality and digital experience, requiring the use of cutting-edge technologies such as photovoltaic roofs, rainwater recycling, AI guided tours, and 8K immersive displays. Chinese companies such as Huawei, Hikvision, LONGi, and China Construction Engineering Corporation, which have already established their presence in Saudi Arabia, can collaborate with local partners to enter exhibition halls or public area projects with green and intelligent solutions, and make great strides in the field of hard infrastructure. Keywords: Middle East news and information, Middle East international news

In addition to engineering opportunities, soft collaborations such as China Pavilion planning, cultural and creative product supply, and digital content production are also actively being prepared. With the help of the World Expo, a highly visible platform that attracts global attention, Chinese companies can simultaneously enhance their brand international influence, achieve the dual development of hard infrastructure and soft culture, and write their own Chinese stories in this desert event. Editor/Yang Beihua