Back in 2005, the Saudi government announced plans to create a new city (from scratch) on its western coast that will be the size of Washington D.C. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports that construction is already under way.
The city is named after the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in January 2015. Its formal name is the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
Having a city on the peninsular country’s western coast will give it access to the Suez Canal, reflecting the government’s attempt to diversify its oil-dependent economy by focusing more in its shipping industry.
According to the CTBUH, Saudi Arabia hopes the port will be part of a new Silk Road that will connect with Mediterranean countries and Southern Europe.
Eric Reguly, a journalist of Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, who visited the under-construction city a few months ago, said the site looks more like a movie set.
“The rest of the city is pretty much an expanse of nothing, save for a suburb of villas, an international school and, a dozen kilometers to the north, a container-ship port, and a few factories in an area that could double as a stage set for a Mad Max film,” Reguly writes.
During a recent interview with Public Radio International, Reguly said that the city’s reliance on cars is an obvious flaw. “"It's going to be very much dependent on cheap oil," he adds, which was the very thing the city was designed to avoid.
For more information on the project, visit The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and Globe and Mail.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Sep 30, 2021
The Laurel Rittenhouse Square is set to be Philadelphia’s tallest residential tower
Solomon Cordwell Buenz designed the project.
Glass and Glazing | Sep 30, 2021
Plans move forward on Central Place Sydney, duel towers with an AI-driven façade system
SOM and Fender Katsalidis are designing the project.
Mixed-Use | Sep 28, 2021
BIG designs new Farfetch HQ on the slopes of Leça River in Porto
The project is situated within the larger Fuse Valley site.
Mixed-Use | Aug 19, 2021
COVID-conscious, pandemic-ready skyscraper breaks ground in Miami
The project will be part of Miami Worldcenter.
Mixed-Use | Aug 4, 2021
Diamond Schmitt to lead design for Therme Canada | Ontario Place redevelopment
The project will be a year-round waterfront destination.
Mixed-Use | Aug 2, 2021
AT&T Discovery District is Dallas’ newest mixed-use destination
Gensler designed the project.
Mixed-Use | Jul 16, 2021
SOM to lead the design of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Village
The project is part of the updated Porta Romana railway yard master plan.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 15, 2021
Greystar’s The Pullman is a new mixed-use apartment community in Denver
The Mulhern Group designed the project.
Mixed-Use | Jun 30, 2021
Design details released about new development in Seattle’s vibrant Belltown district
Connecting the building, called Archetype, to the street, neighborhood, and bay is a key imperative.
Mixed-Use | Jun 21, 2021
Design team of Gensler and Manning selected to design The River District
The mixed-use neighborhood will be built along the Mississippi River in New Orleans.