Saudi Arabia Takes Another Step forward in Its Transformation Drive

King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia today launched four wellbeing projects for the kingdom’s capital Riyadh, which will significantly improve the lives of its citizens, transform the city into an attractive destination and make it one of the world’s most livable cities.

The four wellbeing projects - King Salman Park, Sports Boulevard, Green Riyadh and Riyadh Art – complement the Saudi Vision 2030’s “Quality of Life” Program and are aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, to create sustainable cities and communities, while driving urgent action against climate change.

Developed with a government investment of US$23 billion, the four projects will offer opportunities worth US$15 billion for the private sector to invest in the residential, commercial, recreational and wellness areas. In addition to providing tens of thousands of new jobs, they will also contribute to an integrated approach to wellness, health, sports, culture and the arts, underpinned by a commitment to environmental sustainability.

With its 13.4 square kilometers, King Salman Park will be a green oasis in an urban setting and will be the largest city park in the world. Besides residences and hotels, it will also feature a Royal Arts Complex, theaters, museums, cinemas, sports venues, water features, restaurants and an 18-hole Royal Golf Course. The park will also boast several landmark assets, including the Riyadh Fountains and a Vertical Garden. As an environmentally sustainable urban development, it will offer opportunities for the international community in arts, entertainment and culture.

One of the world’s largest urban greening projects, Green Riyadh will increase the green cover in the Saudi capital with the planting of 7.5 million trees. This will help increase the city’s green cover from 1.5 percent of the total area to 9.1 percent, or approximately 541 square kilometers, by 2030. Green space availability will increase to 28 square meters per capita from the current 1.7 square meters per capita, compared to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 9 square meters per capita. Green Riyadh will help reduce average ambient temperature by 2 degrees Celsius, and will use more than 1 million cubic meters of treated sewage affluent daily for irrigation, for the sustainability of water resources in the city.

An iconic new health and wellness destination in the heart of the city, Sports Boulevard will feature a 135 kilometer-long professional cycling track covering the city and the surrounding valleys, the first of its kind in the region. Adding 3.5 million square meters of new open space across the city, this grand project will also feature a sports pavilion, riding stables and athletics tracks, in fact accommodating a wide variety of sports activities. Sports Boulevard has been designed with full accessibility for all segments of the population.

Riyadh Art is the world's single largest government investment in public art and will establish the city as “a gallery without walls” through a world-class interactive public arts program. With 1,000 art pieces curated through 10 separate arts programs and an annual arts festival, this grand project will feature large-scale art works that will both fascinate and engage artists and art lovers from across the world. The highlight of Riyadh Art will be an iconic installation that will be Riyadh’s 21st century landmark art statement, to be created by the world’s most innovative, creative and ambitious talent.

Construction for the above four wellbeing projects will start in the second half of 2019.