Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Photo: Reuters
On Tuesday, March 19, Saudi Arabia‘s King Salman announced four major projects worth SR86 billion in the nation’s capital of Riyadh.
The four projects, which include an art district called Art Riyadh, sports boulevard, an entertainment park, and Green Riyadh – a development which aims to turn the capital into a tree-lined oasis, form part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s Quality of Life Program. The underlying aim of the program is to improve the lifestyle of its citizens by providing them with the ideal environment needed to foster growth and prosperity. It also aims to encourage local participation in cultural, sporting, and entertainment activities.
The construction phase of the project, which will be overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, is scheduled to start in the second half of 2019. Once complete, it set to generate over 70,000 jobs.
The Projects, Explained:
Riyadh Art
The mission of Riyadh Art is to create “a gallery without walls”. It will consist of 1,0000 art-pieces, curated through 10 art programs, which will be displayed and installed in the city’s residential areas, public parks, transport facilities, and roads.
Sports Boulevard
The project will feature a 135km multi-purpose track designed for running, cycling, and horse-back riding. Once complete, it will be the first of its kind in the region.
King Salman Park
Covering more than 13 square kilometers, King Salman Park will be the biggest city park in the world, once it’s complete. It will combine a number of activities ranging from entertainment to environmental and cultural, to create an environment that will improve the lifestyle of its citizens. The project will feature a number of facilities such as a national theatre, an opera house, an art academy, and more. The park will also boast a number of green spaces, open areas, and sports compounds. It will also house a number of recreational, residential, commercial, business, and hotel facilities, which will be funded by private investors.
Green Riyadh
The project will see over 7.5 million trees planted in the capital’s gardens, parks, mosques, schools, and health sectors. In addition to King Khaled International Airport, they will be planted on most of the city’s roads, streets, public parking areas, and valleys.
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