RIYADH: Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohammed Javed Patwary delivered a letter from President of Bangladesh Mohammed Abdul Hamid expressing the country’s support for the Kingdom’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh.

The letter was delivered to King Salman through the Bangladesh ambassador and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

The ambassador presented the letter to the Saudi minister during a meeting at the foreign minister’s office in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Saudi bid in October last year and the formal application was submitted in December during a virtual meeting of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions.

The Kingdom has already won significant backing for its expo bid.

In November, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation pledged its support for the Saudi application.

Saudi Arabia’s bid is based on the theme “The Era of Change: Leading the Planet to a Foresighted Tomorrow.”

If the Kingdom is successful, the expo will take place in Riyadh from Oct. 1, 2030, to April 1, 2031.

Saudi Arabia has received a number of international endorsements and emerged as a strong contender.

There are five stages to the candidature process, which will culminate in a vote in late 2023.

During the meeting the Bangladesh ambassador and the Saudi foreign minister discussed cooperation between the two countries, and exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Patwary also reiterated Bangladesh’s fraternity and solidarity with the Kingdom.

The Saudi foreign minister voiced his satisfaction over the relationship between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, and said that he was looking forward to deepening the relationship further.