“What Singapore did in 60 years, Saudi Arabia wants to achieve in 15 years”: CEO of Diriyah Group
PARIS: Media Oasis is a three-day event organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media, highlighting the economic, development and cultural transformation of the Kingdom.
The fifth edition, which is being held at the Pavillon Vendôme in Paris before the announcement of the Bureau International des Expositions on the host country of Expo 2030, brings together a delegation of Saudi ministers, the mayor of Riyadh and leaders of Saudi companies from megaprojects, to talk about their most recent and upcoming projects under Vision 2030, what the Kingdom will look like by 2030 and why Riyadh is the ideal place to host the next World Expo after Osaka in 2025.
The Media Oasis features nine sections ranging from hospitality to culture and sports with Riyadh Expo 2030, Diriyah, NEOM, Ministry of Sports, Visit Saudi and more on hand to showcase the ‘City of Tomorrow’ , Saudi heritage and the country’s cultural gems.
The Ministry of Sports is working on 33 new events for 2024 in addition to hosting the 2027 Asian Trojena Winter Games, with sustainability factored into the Kingdom’s transformation efforts, sustainable sporting events and activities.
Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Group, spoke to Arab News about how Diriyah is at the heart of the Kingdom’s transformation process for 2030 and beyond.
Diriyah is a model of urban development and cultural renaissance, and an ambitious project to become one of the leading cultural centers, tourism hubs and entertainment destinations globally.
“We are very fortunate at this time to have two great visionary leaders of an era, King Salman, and the dynamic Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Their vision of the Kingdom to bring happiness and well-being to all its inhabitants is 2030.
“The reason this Expo is more important for Saudi Arabia than anyone else is that we believe it will allow us to welcome people from all over the world to see the Kingdom’s achievements here 2030.
“The crown prince said we would not only show our commitment, but we would also be physically there to show how much this means to us and I think that was a very thoughtful and brilliant strategy,” Inzerillo said.
Beyond the announcement, megaprojects are underway to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, alongside an ongoing conversation between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world to achieve the Kingdom’s economic, cultural and hospitality goals.
With 50 years of experience in the tourism industry, Inzerillo has highlighted authenticity and passion as the driving force behind projects in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and cradle of the Kingdom.
“Winning the tender is when the work begins, because we have a giant task ahead to have everything completed by 2030. In the case of Diriyah, 140 million square meters need to be completed d ‘by 2030 and we will be ready to welcome everyone. all over the world,” he added.
In the six years to 2030, the biggest challenge is expected to be labor.
Inzerillo said: “We are lucky because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a very young and highly educated population.
“What Singapore has done in 60 years, what the Emiratis have done in tourism in 30 years, the crown prince wants to accomplish in 15 years.
“Diriyah will be very famous by 2030. Now we have to launch NEOM, the Red Sea, the city of Riyadh will be unrecognizable, one of the biggest cities in the world in the G20, as the crown prince continues his global leadership in as G20 head of government,” he added.
