Preparing Riyadh for Expo 2030: What Contractors Need to Know

Riyadh’s drive to host Expo 2030 has set in motion a construction programme few places match. Saudi planners intend to spend around USD 7.8 billion on core infrastructure, venues and supporting works over the next five years. The site itself covers six million square metres, and within that two million are earmarked for the main event. Organizers have divided it into five themed districts, each spotlighting sustainability, innovation or cultural heritage. Over 200 pavilions will illustrate global ideas in real time.

Before pavilions go up, Riyadh’s City Readiness programme is already reshaping transport, utilities and accommodation. New roads, bridges and even metro extensions are moving from drawing board to ground. Contractors specializing in civils, MEP and transport get a head start here.

Sustainability isn’t a buzzword—it’s a requirement. Tenders demand water recycling, solar farms and zero-waste protocols. Firms with strong ESG credentials will stand out when the invitations to bid land in your inbox.

Here’s how the timeline breaks down:

• 2025–26: Enabling works—earthworks, piling, utility networks

• 2027–28: Pavilion shells and themed-zone structures

• 2029: Systems testing, commissioning and trial events

• 1 October 2030: Expo 2030 opens for six months

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Don’t forget about life after Expo. The legacy plan turns parts of the site into housing, research campuses, retail and green spaces. That means facilities management, retrofit contracts and landscaping bids into the 2030s.

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Sources

• Saudi government infrastructure investment plans

• Royal Commission for Riyadh City RFI/ PQQ portal

• Expo 2030 official master plan documents