Top 10 plans for Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion capital
27 July 2023
> This package also includes: Saudi Arabia plans $1 trillion capital
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1. New Murabba
In early 2023, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud launched New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) to develop the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh.
Located to the northwest of the capital, the development will cover an area of 19 square kilometres. It will feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms and over 980,000 square metres of retail space.
The centrepiece will be the Mukaab, a 400 cubic-metre structure that will be the world’s first immersive destination, featuring digital and virtual technology. The Mukaab will include a tower atop a spiral base.
The estimated project cost is more than $50bn and it is scheduled for completion by 2030.
Contractors win New Murabba early works deals
UK consultancy firm Atkins is working on the New Murabba project in Riyadh, which includes the 400-metre-cubed, Najdi-inspired Mukaab building. Another UK firm, Buro Happold, is working with Atkins on the project
2. Diriyah Gate
Announced in 2019, the Diriyah Gate project spans 7.1 million sq m to the northwest of Riyadh. The masterplan includes the three-phased development of several areas in Diriyah, including Wadi Safar, Wadi Hanifah Park, Bujairi District, Arts District, Samhan District and Diriyah Square.
Projects worth $12.6bn are in execution at Diriyah Gate, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, while $9.5bn-worth of schemes are in design and tendering stages.
Artist's rendition of Diriyah Gate’s King Salman Square, one of the meeting places planned for the 7.1 million square-metre development
3. King Salman Park
King Salman Park is being built on more than 16 sq km and will become the world’s largest urban park. The project was officially announced in 2019 and is split into three phases.
Saudi-based Modern Building Leaders is building the SR7.5bn ($2bn) Royal Art Complex. A joint venture of Freyssinet Saudi Arabia and the local Haif Company is carrying out the infrastructure works. Freyssinet is also delivering the main works package for the visitors’ centre at the park, and Saudi-based E A Juffali & Brothers is providing mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.
At King Salman Park, projects worth more than $5bn are in execution, while projects under design and tender are valued at about $2.7bn.
Contractors win $2.5bn of work at King Salman Park
Covering an area of 16.9 sq km, King Salman Park is located to the south of King Abdullah Road, to the north of Makkah al-Mukkarramah Road and to the west of the Eastern Ring Road. The east of the site has a military airbase with two runways
4. Sports Boulevard
Riyadh Sports Boulevard was unveiled in March 2019 by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. The development will span 135km on Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road.
The project will be split into eight zones and features the development of 50 sports facilities, arts and recreational facilities, and green and open spaces spanning 4.4 million sq m. As of March 2023, $3.1bn-worth of projects had been awarded.
In early 2023, the local Almabani secured a $2bn contract for the construction of five packages of the project.
Sports Boulevard Foundation invited firms to submit bids in early August for a contract to provide project management consultancy services for schemes that include several iconic buildings at Sports Boulevard.
Sports Boulevard runs across Riyadh from east to west. Once complete, it will be the world’s longest park at over 135km
5. Seven
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), began construction on the first of its two entertainment districts in Riyadh in January 2022. Named Exit 10, the project is being executed by Indian contractor Shapoorji Pallonji, which secured a deal worth more than $370m.
Exit 10 is at the most advanced stage of construction out of the 21 planned entertainment complexes in 14 cities across the kingdom.
A second entertainment district, Exit 15, is under construction in the Al-Nahdah area of Riyadh. The contractor on the scheme is Consolidated Contractors Company, and US-based Aecom is the consultant. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
6. Misk Nonprofit City
Mohammed bin Salman Nonprofit City (Misk) is a masterplanned development covering 3.4 sq km in Riyadh. It includes commercial, educational, cultural, exhibition, hospitality, residential and retail spaces located in different zones.
In November 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the Misk Foundation development will be the world’s first non-profit city.
The consultants working on the project include Germany’s Albert Speer + Partner as masterplanner and architect, and UK-based Buro Happold as engineer. The project manager for the first phase of construction is UK-based Mace.
7. King Salman International airport
The development of King Salman International airport was announced in November 2022 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The project is backed by PIF and will span an area of about 57 sq km.
The airport is expected to be one of the world’s largest, and will be powered by renewable energy.
It aims to accommodate 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million passengers by 2050, with the capacity to process 3.5 million tonnes of cargo.
The airport will have six parallel runways and will include the existing terminals at King Khalid International airport.
If completed on time in 2030, King Salman International airport will become the world’s largest airport in terms of passenger capacity
8. Roshn
Launched by PIF, Roshn is an initiative by the government to promote real estate sector activity in the kingdom and increase homeownership rates among Saudi citizens to 70 per cent by 2030.
Roshn is developing the Sedra community in northeast Riyadh, which is masterplanned to include 30,000 homes. Construction work is ongoing on packages from phases one and two.
Warefa is Roshn’s second community project. Located in the Al-Janadriyah district of Riyadh, it was announced in March 2023. The project will cover 1.4 million sq m and have more than 2,000 housing units.
Public Investment Fund-backed Roshn has integrated power-saving technologies and adopted water treatment and reuse across the communities it is developing in the kingdom
9. NHC Housing schemes
National Housing Company (NHC) is the investment arm of the Municipal, Rural Affairs & Housing Ministry in the residential and commercial real estate sectors. Its main suburban developments in Riyadh are Khuzam and Al-Fursan.
According to data from MEED Projects, packages worth over $784m are under execution in Khuzam.
In February, NHC announced the second phase, spanning more than 21 million sq m and including 30,000 homes.
NHC and Saudi Arabia’s Housing Ministry have also signed investment agreements totalling more than SR24bn ($6.4bn) to launch the Al-Fursan suburb in northeast Riyadh.
It is the largest scheme in terms of the area and the number of housing units that NHC is implementing in partnership with Saudi real estate developers. Delivery of the first batch of homes is set for 2026.
10. North Pole
PIF is planning a 2km megatall tower as part of an 18 sq km masterplanned development to the north of Riyadh.
The proposed tower will be more than double the height of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which is 828 metres tall. The project could cost about $5bn to construct.
Several international architecture firms have been invited to participate in a design competition for the project. UK-headquartered EY conducted the feasibility study for the development.
Gigaproject seeks firms for Riyadh rail link
Qiddiya has sought consultants for its Q-Express rail link that will connect the entertainment city with King Salman airport
Main image credit: Riyadh Expo 2030
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Read the August 2026 MEED Business Review29 July 2026
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Abu Dhabi tenders urban development consultancy deal29 July 2026
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Events put Saudi Arabia on the world stage
29 July 2026
Commentary
Colin Foreman
EditorThe Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup will not transform Saudi Arabia’s economy on their own, but the momentum they generate and the international profile they bring underline their importance.
Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has taken great strides in changing the international perception of the kingdom. Futuristic projects and investment in football and other sports, combined with social reforms such as opening cinemas and allowing women to drive, have helped foster a new image for the country.
This year, those efforts have been dented as the rest of the world once again sees a region blighted by conflict. Saudi Arabia will need to correct the course of public perception once the conflict draws to a close, and Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 Fifa World Cup are well timed to help the kingdom maintain its modernisation drive.
Both are truly global events that will attract millions of visitors. More than 40 million visits are anticipated at the Expo, and the World Cup final in Qatar in 2022 was watched by some 1.5 billion people.
Both are truly global events that will attract millions of visitors
Locally, the impact has already begun. Flying into Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport from the south, one can clearly see earthworks and infrastructure progressing at the Expo site. To the east of the city, construction work on King Fahd Sports City Stadium is well advanced.
Expo Riyadh 2030 Company expects the construction phase and legacy development to contribute around $64bn to Saudi GDP and generate some 171,000 jobs. Fifteen stadiums are planned across five cities.
Construction activity is ramping up. Tendering is starting for the first buildings at the Expo site, including the KSA Pavilion. Meanwhile, work is beginning on more stadiums and other related infrastructure projects that will support the World Cup.
In the build-up to Expo 2030 and World Cup 2034, construction will be the main event.
READ THE AUGUST 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSaudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034> MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge> INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil> LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection> INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solarTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17794600/main.gif -
Read the August 2026 MEED Business Review
29 July 2026
Download / Subscribe / 14-day trial access Saudi Arabia’s biggest event and infrastructure programmes are moving into a new phase of delivery.
Construction activity at the Expo 2030 Riyadh site is accelerating, with some of the largest packages set to be awarded before the end of this year. Infrastructure works are gathering pace and preparations are intensifying for an event that is expected to reshape the capital long after its six-month run comes to an end.At the same time, the lessons emerging from this summer’s expanded Fifa World Cup provide an early guide to the opportunities – and challenges – Saudi Arabia will face as it prepares to host football’s biggest tournament in 2034.
August’s Market Focus turns to the Maghreb, where four economies are following increasingly divergent paths. While Morocco is benefiting from World Cup-driven investment and a booming tourism sector, Algeria is deploying record public spending, Tunisia is pressing ahead with strategic power investments despite fiscal constraints, and Libya is seeing sustained interest from oil and gas investors undeterred by ongoing political disputes. The report examines what is driving this divergence and where the region’s strongest opportunities now lie.
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Finally, we congratulate the winners of the Mena Banking Excellence Awards 2026, recognising the retail, digital and SME institutions that are setting new benchmarks for innovation, customer experience and business banking across the region.
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Bahrain tenders Tashan sewer scheme
29 July 2026
Bahrain’s Ministry of Works (MoW) has issued a tender for the construction of a sewer network in Tashan, on the outskirts of Manama.
Contractors have until 20 September to submit bids.
The scheme covers blocks 405, 419 and 421, administrative areas covering Tashan and surrounding communities. It will expand the local wastewater collection network and provide connections for existing and planned properties.
The scope includes about 2 kilometres of 150mm-diameter lateral sewers and 4.8km of main sewer lines ranging from 200mm to 400mm in diameter.
The contract also covers house connections and future connections for planned properties.
A pressure station with a capacity of 75 litres a second will be built as part of the scheme. It will be supported by about 834 metres of 250mm-diameter rising main and a discharge chamber.
Other works include the construction of manholes and associated infrastructure, as well as the decommissioning of an existing lift station.
The project is part of Bahrain’s wider programme to develop and expand its sewerage networks and treatment infrastructure.
In June, MoW issued a tender for another sewer network project in A’ali, southwest of Manama, covering Block 730 and part of Block 740.
The scheme will connect 232 plots to the public sewer network. It includes 5.2km of sewer mains with diameters ranging from 200mm to 300mm and about 3.4km of 150mm-diameter lateral sewer lines.
The scope also includes house connections, new manholes and connections to the existing sewer network.
The bid submission deadline for the A’ali project is 5 August.
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Chinese firm signs $3.3bn Kuwait wastewater deal
29 July 2026
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China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has confirmed it has signed a contract to build Kuwait’s largest wastewater treatment plant.
The North Kabd wastewater treatment plant and related works contract was signed on 26 July between senior officials from CSCEC and Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW).
The plant has a planned capacity of up to 1 million cubic metres a day (cm/d).
In January, MEED reported that the Chinese firm had been appointed as the main contractor for the project pending the contract’s official signing.
According to official government records at the time, the Central Agency for Public Tenders (Capt) had authorised MPW to proceed with a direct contract valued at KD999.85m ($3.3bn).
The contract covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the facility over a 10-year period.
Earlier, in September 2025, MEED reported that a Chinese firm was expected to sign the contract as part of a series of Kuwait-China agreements covering infrastructure and energy.
This included a $4bn agreement signed in December with China Communications Construction Company for the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project.
The MPW invited bids for the expansion of the Kabd facility in 2022.
Plans for the North Kabd sewage treatment plant (STP) were first announced in 2013, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.
The initial plan included two STP units with a total combined capacity of close to 500,000 cm/d, in addition to an upgrade to an existing plant.
Kuwait has been investing significantly in wastewater infrastructure to address challenges in reusing treated sewage.
In February, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa and local financial institution Gulf Investment Corporation signed a contract with Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity & Water, confirming the long-term offtake arrangements for the Al-Zour North independent water and power plant (IWPP) phases two and three.
The integrated facility will have a net power generation capacity of at least 2,700MW and a net desalinated water capacity of at least 545,520 cm/d, making it the largest IWPP ever undertaken in the country.
The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects and the Ministry of Electricity & Water are also tendering phase one of the Al-Khiran IWPP.
The estimated $200m project includes an 1,800MW power plant and a desalination facility with a capacity of 568,000 cm/d.
Bids were submitted for the project in June.
READ THE AUGUST 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSaudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034> MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge> INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil> LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection> INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solarTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17794972/main.jpg -
Abu Dhabi tenders urban development consultancy deal
29 July 2026
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has issued a tender inviting consultants to bid for an integrated consultancy services contract for upcoming works in the capital.
The scope includes the provision of integrated consultancy services across two streams – project management consultancy and secondment – covering stormwater, parks, roads and bridges programmes in Zayed City and Mohammed Bin Zayed City.
The contract duration is two years. Consultants have until 3 August to submit their proposals.
The project is one of a series of major infrastructure schemes being overseen by DMT in Abu Dhabi.
Earlier this month, DMT announced the E20 highway expansion project.
The scheme covers widening the main carriageway from three to five lanes, constructing more than 10 kilometres (km) of new ramps and loops, and building four bridges.
Works also include 1.5km of internal roads and the addition of eight signalised junctions across Khalifa City and the Zayed International airport precinct.
The project includes utility works, comprising 62km of stormwater drainage, 37km of irrigation networks and the installation of 485 streetlights.
Separately, DMT is evaluating bids for a design-and-build contract to construct two bridges serving Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
The scope includes a two-lane bridge connecting 32nd Street to Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street, and a single-lane bridge on 8th Street. It also includes upgrades to signalised intersections.
Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street is a two-way road with three lanes in each direction, providing access to and from Hudayriyat Island.
READ THE AUGUST 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSaudi Arabia builds for the global stage; Rising uncertainty creates fresh set of challenges in the Maghreb; Gulf banks remain robust in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> WORLD CUP: What the 2026 World Cup means for Saudi Arabia 2034> MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb fortunes diverge> INDUSTRY REPORT: GCC banks prove resilient amid turmoil> LEADERSHIP: Private capital and the GCC infrastructure inflection> INTERVIEW: Developers look beyond standalone solarTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17797254/main.jpg