Saudi Arabia says it is looking to host Expo 2030 in its capital city of Riyadh.

The country on Friday announced its intention in a letter to the secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions, the World Expo’s organising body.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said: “We live in an era of change and we face an unprecedented need for humanity’s collective action.

“It is clear that the whole world, as a collective, needs to work together to foresee the future and address, with its brightest minds, the challenges and opportunities that emanate from this change.”

The Crown Prince also said that the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh would coincide with the culmination of the kingdom’s Vision 2030, an initiative that aims to move the country away from oil and diversify its economy.

Expo 2030 will take place from October 1, 2030, to April 1, 2031. The theme proposed by Saudi Arabia is “The era of change: leading the planet to a foresighted tomorrow".

Dubai is currently hosting Expo 2020, whose organisers have set a target of 25 million visits for the six-month fair.

In a tweet on Saturday evening, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the Emirates would give its full support to Saudi Arabia's bid, and that "experience we gained during the seven years of preparing for Expo 2020 will be available to our brothers".

"The effects of the Expo will extend for years, and the success of the Kingdom is a success for the whole region. All the best to my brother, Mohammed bin Salman, in this project," he said.