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Project management consultant appointed for 2030 World Expo in Riyadh
17 July 2025
US-based construction firm Bechtel has won the role of project management consultant (PMC) for the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Pictured left to right, John Doyle, programme director, Expo 2030 Riyadh, Bechtel; Talal H. AlMarri, CEO, Expo 2030 Riyadh Company; and Hani Rizkallah, president, Saudi Arabia Infrastructure, Bechtel. (Image courtesy of Bechtel)
The global event, held in a different host country every five years, will centre on the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 roadmap that aims to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas and has involved multiple major construction projects including Neom, Diriyah, and New Murabba.
Working with Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, Bechtel will oversee delivery of the infrastructure programme across the six-square-kilometre site, including early works, utilities, roads, and the public realm.
Bechtel said the event will bring together more than 195 countries, 29 international organisations, and other unofficial participants. The organisers expect approximately 42 million event visitors.
Bechtel has not given a figure for how much World Expo 2030 is expected to cost, however, the Kingdom set a budget of $7.8 billion in 2023, as part of plans to make Riyadh one of the most sustainable cities in the world.
That is considerably higher than Japan has spent on hosting World Expo 2025 in Osaka, on the artificial island of Yumeshima. The overall scheme, which saw costs increase well beyond its original budget, has cost a reported 235 billion yen ($1.6 billion).
Darren Mort, president of Bechtel’s Infrastructure business, said, “The Expo 2030 Riyadh will highlight Saudi Arabia’s remarkable transformation since the launch of the Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016, and showcase progress across the Kingdom’s economic, social, and cultural sectors.
“Bechtel has been a trusted partner in the Kingdom for over eight decades, and we are proud to support this legacy project that will highlight our customer’s vision for sustainability, innovation, and connectivity.”
Following the six-month event, Bechtel will also support transforming the site into sustainable urban development.
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