regional overview 12
Below: King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
Below right: Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi
three 2,000-capacity mosques, seven shopping centres, over
three million square metres of green space, as well as schools, a
university, a hospital and a sports stadium. It is anticipated that
the project will be completed in five phases.
The Kingdom has ambitious plans to build a total of six economic
cities and construction has commenced on several of the sites. In
June 2007, work began on the US$30 billion Jizan Economic City, by
Saudi Binladin Group. Construction of the residential and commercial
areas is expected to be wrap up in December 2013, while completion
of the entire project will stretch through to 2036. The integrated
economic and industrial city will cover 117 square kilometres, and
will contain a business district, residential areas, a marina, and
educational and hospitality facilities.
Emaar is developing the King Abdullah Economic City, valued
at a staggering US$92.9 billion. Work has been underway since
February 2006, but is not due for completion until 2030. It will
cover an area of 168 million square metres along the Red Sea
coastline, and will include a 14 million-square-metre seaport,
an industrial district, a financial island, a residential zone with
Saudi Arabia is the fastest-growing country in
150,000 apartments, and an educational zone with a multi-
university campus for 18,000 students. In June 2009, Emaar The
the region, with an estimated US$289 billion
Economic City launched Hawadi, a specially designed middle-
worth of projects under construction
income district within the mammoth development.
Another economic city underway is the Prince Abdulaziz Bin
Mousaed Economic City. The US$53 billion project – developed
Saudi Arabia by Al-Mal Kuwaiti Company and Rakisa Holding – will contain an
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is awash with billion-dollar real airport, dry port, a business centre, an entertainment zone for
estate projects, including several high-profile developments 700,000 tourists per annum, an educational zone for 40,000
already under construction. In Jeddah, Al Oula Development students, and a residential zone of 3,000 commercial units and
Company and Emaar are working on Jeddah Gate, a 500,000- 30,000 residential units. Construction started in December
square-metre mixed-use development valued at US$1.2 billion. 2006, and is expected to be completed by 2025.
The project will include Al Hilal Towers – three residential buildings
housing 6,000 units plus two office towers. Construction started Work has started on the US$5.4 billion King Abdullah Financial
in February 2008 and construction work on Al Hilal Towers is on Centre, a 1.6 million-square-metre complex in Riyadh, with 60
track for scheduled completion during 2010. commercial and residential buildings, which will be the largest
financial complex in the Middle East. In June it was announced
Construction on Jabal Omar in the holy city of Makkah started that a tender document for earthworks has been issued.
in January 2008, with Jadwa Investment providing the funding Yet the Kingdom is not immune to project alterations in light of
for the US$3.3 billion project. Jabal Omer will cover an area of the global economic crisis. In March 2009 it was reported that
230,000 square metres, and will comprise 4,500 shops, 3,000 Kinan, an affiliate of Saudi-based Savola Group, has frozen its
showrooms, parking for 30,000 vehicles, residential towers, plans for a US$533 million mixed-use development in Jeddah
an office tower and six five-star hotels. The residential site is due to difficulties in securing loans.
planned to accommodate 34,500 people, with an open prayer
space for 85,000 worshippers, while prayer places in the In February this year, Kingdom Holding quashed media reports
towers will help to extend the capacity up to 200,000 people. that its Kingdom City project had been shelved in light of the
Completion is scheduled for December 2010. global financial crisis. The US$16.7 billion project will parade
Kingdom Tower – also known as Mile High Tower – which could
UAE developer Limitless has completed groundworks for phase be the tallest building in the world at over 1,000 metres. The
one of Al Wasl, a US$12.5 billion integrated community on a project was officially launched in October 2008, and will cover
14 million-square-metre site north of Riyadh. It will comprise 7.1 square kilometres in Jeddah, with residential and commercial
over 55,000 homes, one million square metres of office space, buildings, as well as hotels. Design work is still ongoing.
PREVIEW Cityscape Dubai
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69