Dubai: Saudi Arabia has launched a SR3 trillion ($800 billion) plan to reshape Riyadh in the next decade and transform it into the Middle East’s top economic, social and cultural hub, according to Saudi media reports.
The mega-plan was unveiled by Fahd Al Rasheed, President of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, ahead of key meetings of the U20, the arm of the G20 leaders’ summit that deals with urban development and strategy.
Cost: $23 billion
Completion: 1st Phase to open in 2020
2. Jeddah Metro
Cost: $60 billion
Completion: 2025
3. King Salman Park
Cost: $23 billion
Completion: 2025
4. Makkah Public Transport Programme
Cost: $16.5 billion
Completion: 2025
5. Jeddah Tower
Cost: $1.4 billion
Completion: Scheduled for 2020
6. Neom - City with roaming Robots
Cost: $500 billion
Completion: 2025
7. Qiddiya Project
Cost: $8 billion
Completion: 2030
8. Red Sea Project
Cost: Unknown
Completion: 2030
9. Ad Diriyah
Cost: $17 Billion
Completion: In Process
10. Resort in Al Ula
Cost: Unknown
Completion: 2035
11. Jabal Omar
Cost: $4.3 billion
Completion: In Process
12. World’s largest mixed use shopping stop in Riyadh
Cost: $5 billion
Completion: 1st phase in 2021
13. King Fahad Medical City Expansion
Cost: $14 billion
Completion: By end of 2021
14. Pepsi’s Chinese bottle maker comes to Saudi Arabia
Cost: $1 billion
Completion: 2020
15. Amaala - Tourism Destination
Cost: Unknown
Completion: 2028
16. Mall of Saudi
Cost: $3.2 billion
Completion: 2025
17. The Knowledge Economic City
Cost: $22.5 billion
The plan involves the creation of a “mega industrial zone” focusing on advanced technology such as renewables and automation, and biotechnology and aquaponics. Another key feature is sustainability, with energy conservation, the circular carbon economy with its emphasis on reducing emissions, and water management, all priorities.
“Seven million trees planted in Riyadh in the next few years and King Salman Park will be bigger than Hyde Park in London. Riyadh is already a very important economic engine for the kingdom and although it’s already very successful, the plan now, under Vision 2030, is to actually take that way further, to double the population to 15m people,” said Al Rasheed, president of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, told Arab News.
“We’ve already launched 18 megaprojects in the city, worth over SR1 trillion, ($250 billion) to both improve livability and deliver much higher economic growth so we can create jobs and double the population in 10 years. It’s a significant plan and the whole city is working to make sure this happens.” Al Rasheed added.
Saudi Arabia has been heavily investing billions of Riyals into its giga-projects, transport and mobility schemes, in order to move off the country from the oil dependent and to open its doors to millions of Tourists from all over the world.
