The key facts

  • The US signed an agreement to participate in Expo 2030 in Riyadh — October 30, 2026, on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta
  • Signatures were put by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan
  • The expo will run from October 1, 2030 to March 31, 2031; more than 42 million visitors and 197 official participants are expected

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the G20 meeting

On October 30, 2026, the United States signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia formally confirming U.S. participation in the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh. The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta; the signatures were put by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the kingdom's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, The National reports.

What the signatories said

Rubio emphasized that the expo is still several years away, but the signing is an important first step toward preparing a world-class U.S. pavilion in Riyadh. According to him, it is an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with the kingdom, present America on the world stage, and expand commercial opportunities for American business.

The scale of the expo and its place in Saudi strategy

Expo 2030 in Riyadh will be the culmination of the Saudi program Vision 2030 — a package of economic and social reforms aimed at reducing the kingdom's dependence on oil exports. The expo will run from October 1, 2030 to March 31, 2031: according to the organizers, it will bring together 197 official participants and is expected to attract more than 42 million visitors on a site covering 6 million square meters.