It didn't even register locally, but earlier this week, Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the World Expo 2030. It was a landslide vote in Paris, "delivering a triumph to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler."
And, Belize was right there - voting for its new best friend who has given Belize huge soft loans totalling more than a hundred million dollars for a hospital and a solar grid in the past year.
They were competing against Italy and South Korea. And if you follow the news, you know that South Korea has also been friendly with Belize in the past year - and for the same reason - to get our support for them to host the Expo.
But ultimately, Belize voted for Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister told us why:
Jo-
"Belize's recent vote for Saudi Arabia to host the world expo in 2030 - both South Korea and the Saudi's were courting Belize for its vote - did we get sovereign gifts from both nations. but ultimately choose the saudis because of the loans for a hospital and for a solar power grid?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That's not necessarily true, it just so happens that the Saudis came earlier to ask us for their support. Both Saudi Arabia and South Korea I consider them as very important developing partners and both have displayed a willingness to work with small countries like Belize the Saudis as they pointed out for too long we're just concentrating in one area of the world and now they believe that they need to be able to expand their fair of influence and they believe that they can come and work with countries like Belize like the Caribbean islands that are directly impacted by climate change, but I must again emphasize that I consider South Korea a very close ally of Belize and development partner for us and we look forward to continuing to work with both countries. Thank you very much."
Saudi Arabia won 119 of the 165 votes cast, easily defeating South Korea and Italy.
