King Abdullah Economic City

Overview

With a total development area of 173 km² (66.8 sq mi), the city is located along the coast of the Red Sea, around 40 km south of Rabigh city and 100 km north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of Saudi Arabia. The city is also approximately an hour and 20 minutes away from the city of Mecca, 3 hours from Medina by car and an hour away from all Middle Eastern capital cities by plane. The total cost of the city is around SR 207 billion, with the project being built by Emaar Properties. A Tadawul-listed company created from Emaar Properties, a Dubai-based public joint stock company and one of the world’s largest real estate companies, and SAGIA (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority) which is the main facilitator of the project.

The city, along with another five economic cities, is a part of an ambitious "10x10" program to place Saudi Arabia among the world's top ten competitive investment destinations by the year 2010, planned by SAGIA. The first stage of the city was completed in 2010 and the whole city was planned to be fully completed by 2020. The city aims to diversify the nation's oil-based economy by bringing direct foreign and domestic investments. The city also aspires to help create up to one million jobs. Upon completion, KAEC is intended to have a population of 2 million.{{cite news | access-date= 20 March 2015

It is being built along with four other new cities in Saudi Arabia to control sprawl and congestion in existing cities.

The port of the city is part of the Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, there to the Upper Adriatic region of Trieste with its connections to Central and Eastern Europe.

Developments

On 12 June 2008, King Abdullah visited the city and evaluated the progress. Some of the proposed projects in the city included:

• Science and Research Complex
• Columbia University
• Thunderbird University
• Environment Protection Centre
• Ethraa, The Smart City
• Health Care City
• KAEC Media City
• The Cadre Technical City
• EMAL International Aluminum Smelter factory
• Total Oil factory
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel
• Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Resort

The king also inaugurated the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The university is 20 km away south of the city in the village of Thuwal. It opened in September 2009.

Emaar, E.C. and SAGIA have signed several memorandums of understanding and contracts with international and local developers in many fields.

Emaar, E.C has also launched two residential areas, Bay La Sun Village, and Esmeralda Suburb.

Transport

KAEC is served by the Al-Haramain High Speed line. The construction of the station has been completed by 2018. On 25 September 2018, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud inaugurated the project.

In fiction

The city is the destination of Alan Clay, the protagonist in Dave Eggers's 2012 novel A Hologram for the King.

References

References

1. (May 28, 2021). "Container Mag".
2. (2018-05-27). "Saudi Arabia's sleepy city offers prince a cautionary tale". Financial Times.
3. Thorold, Crispin. (June 11, 2008). "BBC - New cities rise from Saudi desert". BBC News.
4. Mouawad, Jad. (January 20, 2008). "New York Times - The Construction Site Called Saudi Arabia". The New York Times.
5. (October 2, 2008). "A New City in the Saudi Desert".
6. [https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-20/saudi-arabia-plans-100-billion-mega-city-help-end-its-oil-dependence Saudi Arabia plans a $100 billion mega-city to help end its oil dependence]
7. [https://www.bdcnetwork.com/100-billion-city-scratch-taking-shape-saudi-arabia $100 billion 'city from scratch' taking shape in Saudi Arabia]
8. [https://www.business.hsbc.ae/en-gb/ae/article/chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-beacons-new-trade-in-menat China’s Belt and Road Initiative beacons new trade in MENAT]
9. (7 April 2008). "Arabian Business - King Abdullah visits KAEC; evaluates progress achieved".
10. "Emaar - Emaar, E.C. unveils Bay La Sun Village at KAEC".
11. "AME Info - Emaar, E.C. launches Esmeralda Suburb".
12. "Saudi King To Launch High-Speed Rail Line For Mecca-Medina Today".