DUBAI: Cuba is the latest among countries to express support to Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the Expo 2030 in Riyadh. In a recent meeting between Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, and Vladimir Gonzalez, the Cuban envoy to the Kingdom, Havana “officially communicated the support of the Republic of Cuba for the Saudi candidacy to host the Universal Expo 2030.” Vladimir Gonzalez, the Cuban envoy to the Kingdom, left, in a meeting with Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir. (Cuba’s Representative Office Abroad) An official statement from the Cuban government also noted the meeting “addressed issues related to bilateral relations, particularly with the function of the Cuban diplomatic mission in Riyadh and the collaboration in the field of health.” In December, Saudi Arabia took part in a virtual general assembly meeting of the Bureau International des Expositions held in Paris to start the candidature process, which will take place in five stages and will end with a vote at the end of 2023. It the recent meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, @AdelAljubeir , @SafirCubaArabia officially communicated the support of the Republic of Cuba for the Saudi candidacy to host the Universal Expo 2030. pic.twitter.com/2f9OWLa9zk — EmbaCuba Arabia Saudita (@EmbaCubaArabia) May 21, 2022 Saudi Arabia has emerged as a strong contender to host Expo 2030, having already won multiple international endorsements for its formal bid launched late last year. The theme proposed by the Kingdom is ‘The era of change: Leading the planet to a foresighted tomorrow.’ Five countries — Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and Russia — are competing to host the global event. The #RCRC announced the launch of the global campaign for the capital’s bid to host Expo 2030, during a dazzling closing ceremony at the Kingdom’s pavilion at #Expo2020 #Dubai #Riyadh_Expo2030 For more details, please visit: https://t.co/aDN5bavGJR pic.twitter.com/w3F03Jdlwl — الهيئة الملكية لمدينة الرياض (@RiyadhDevelop) March 29, 2022 Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Djibouti, Morocco and Cameroon were among other countries who earlier pledged full support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the event. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation pitched its backing of Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030. Dubai hosted the most recent expo – from Oct. 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022 – while the next one will be held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan between April to October 2025.