Saudi officials meet President Kiir in Juba. Wednesday, August 2, 2023. (Office of the President).

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohamed Bin Salman appeals to South Sudan to support the Kingdom’s bid for World Expo 2030, as his advisor jetted to Juba on Wednesday to seek President Kiir’s backing for the Gulf nation’s candidacy.

According to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE),  three cities; Busan (South Korea), Rome (Italy), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) have launched bids to host the proposed world trade fair.

On Wednesday, President Salva Kiir received an invitation from Mohammed Bin Salman to participate in the Saudi-Africa Summit due in November 2023, for the election of the Expo 2030 host country.

The invitation was delivered by the Prince’s Advisor Ahmed Kattan who handed a goodwill message to President Kiir.

Acting Foreign Minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Deng Dau Deng assured the Saudi Envoy of South Sudan’s readiness to attend the Summit and support its bid to host EXPO 2030 in Riyadh.

He said the president affirmed his consent to Saudi Arabia to host the EXPO 2030.

“The Prince’s Advisor Ahmed Kattan delivered a goodwill message from the King to President Kiir and the people of South Sudan,” Dau said, as reported by state-owned television SSBC.

“In his message there were two important things the request made by the king to support Saudi Arabia’s effort to host the 2030 Expo and the president give the green light to support to Saudi Arabia to host the 2030 Expo because we have done it before to other countries.”

Dau boasts of a “very important” bilateral relationship between South Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the Prince’s Advisor Ahmed Kattan said his country is working to open an Embassy in Juba to further strengthen relations between the two countries.

“I delivered a verbal message from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman; we discussed many issues on how to enhance our relationship in all aspects,” Kattan said.

“I would like to thank the government of South Sudan for voicing support Saudi Arabia to host EXPO 2030 in Riyadh and to host the two summits which are Saudi-African Summit and Arab-Africa summit.”

Kattan further said the Kingdom is set to open its embassy in Juba soon.