The State Department is laying the groundwork for its exhibit at Expo 2030, the latest in a series of global gatherings that occur every five years. Host nation Saudi Arabia expects 197 nations to participate in the six-month-long world’s fair-style event.
The United States’ exhibit in Riyadh is expected to cost between $55 and $65 million and will deliver a “multisensory celebration of American excellence,” per previously unreported documents obtained by The Washington Sun.
“U.S. pavilions at World Expos are public and commercial diplomacy platforms for engaging foreign audiences, promoting American values and prosperity, advancing U.S. bilateral and regional goals, and showcasing American culture and technology,” reads a request for information document recently posted to a federal contracting website.
The event, the document says, “offers the United States Government an opportunity to inform and inspire foreign audiences about the United States, its people, values, and foreign policies, and to promote U.S. economic and commercial interests.”
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The request for information document is broadly similar to the one sent out ahead of Expo 2025, which took place in Osaka, Japan.
But the Trump administration put its mark on the plans. A reference to the multinational Kigali Amendment aimed at curbing emissions does not appear in the Expo 2030 plan as it had in the 2025 document.
Nor does a line stating that the “USA Pavilion is nonpolitical and nonpartisan in nature, of the highest possible quality, and balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.”
Added to the Expo 2030 document is the listed objective that the exhibit “demonstrate America’s value as a champion of, and trusted partner in, preserving cultural heritage and ecology.”
“Particular emphasis will be placed on our bilateral relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the document says. “This goal centers regional audiences, establishing the American legacy of constructive engagement and partnership in the region.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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