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Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Central Development Company (JCDC) has confirmed signing four construction contracts worth SR12bn ($3.2bn) for developing several projects within the first phase of the Jeddah Central project, as MEED previously reported. 

The client confirmed signing an estimated SR6.7bn ($1.8bn) deal with Beijing-headquartered China Railway Construction Corporation and the local contractor Sama Construction for Trading & Contracting to build the Jeddah Central stadium project.

Construction is expected to start in February and be completed by 2026.

JCDC also confirmed two contract awards to local contractor Modern Building Leaders (MBL) to build the opera house and the oceanarium.

The opera house project will include the construction of three theatres over an area of 35,198 square metres. They include the Lyric Theatre with 1,500 seats, a midscale theatre with 700 seats and a rehearsal hall with 200 seats.

The oceanarium and coral farm will feature underwater exhibits and is expected to position Jeddah – and Saudi Arabia as a whole – as a leader in marine conservation.

In an official statement, JCDC also said that it had selected Beijing-headquartered China Harbour Engineering for the development of infrastructure and utilities works in the first phase.

Dubai-headquartered Dar Al Handasah secured the masterplan design contract linked to the project’s first phase in 2022.

Jeddah Central project

JCDC was established in 2019 with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairing its board of directors.

It is wholly owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund, which also owns the project’s lands. 

The company secured land for the first phase of Jeddah Central, formerly New Jeddah Downtown, following an agreement with the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces Institute in March.

Jeddah Central is being developed on a 5.7 square-kilometre site and will comprise 17,000 residential units and 2,700 hotel keys, as well as an opera house, a museum, a sports stadium and an oceanarium.

It will have six districts, named Central, Marina, Beach, Sports Park, Cultural & Creativity and Wellness.