King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has launched four wellbeing projects worth US$23bn in the capital Riyadh
The aim of the wellbeing projects is to improve the lives of its citizens, transform the city into an attractive destination and make it one of the most liveable cities in the world.
The projects that include King Salman Park, Sports Boulevard, Green Riyadh and Riyadh Art will complement the ‘Quality of Life’ programme of Saudi Vision 2030 and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to create sustainable cities and communities while driving urgent action against climate change.
The projects will offer opportunities worth US$15bn for private sector investment in residential, commercial, recreational and wellness areas.
Construction for the above four wellbeing projects will begin in the second half of 2019.
King Salman Park
With its 13.4 sq km, King Salman Park will be a green oasis in an urban setting and will be the largest city park in the world. In addition to residences and hotels, it will also feature a royal arts complex, theatres, museums, cinemas, sports venues, water features, restaurants and an 18-hole royal golf course.
Green Riyadh
Green Riyadh will increase the green cover in the Saudi capital by planting 7.5mn trees. This will help increase the city’s green cover from 1.5 per cent of the total area to 9.1 per cent, or approximately 541 sq km, by 2030.
Green Riyadh will help reduce the average ambient temperature by two degrees Celsius and use more than one million cu/m of treated sewage effluent daily for irrigation to sustain water resources in the city.
Sports Boulevard
Sports Boulevard will feature a 135 km-long professional cycling track covering the city and the surrounding valleys, the first of its kind in the region.
Adding 3.5mn sq m of new open space across the city, this project will feature a sports pavilion, riding stables and athletics tracks, in fact accommodating a wide variety of sports activities.
Riyadh Art
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 art programme. With 1,000 art pieces curated through 10 separate arts programmes and an annual arts festival, this project will feature large-scale artworks that will both fascinate and engage artists and art lovers from across the world.
