The current state of the infrastructure market in Saudi Arabia

Mondo Finance Updated on 2024-02-01

1. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan

In order to achieve long-term development and economic diversification, Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030 in 2016, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Vision 2030 is the same as China's reform and opening-up policy, with a vision to establish Saudi Arabia as the heart of the Arab and Muslim world, a leading force and center for global investment, and a global hub connecting the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa. Economically, it is mainly to get rid of dependence on oil revenues and diversify Saudi Arabia's fiscal revenues. According to related reports, after the official launch of "Vision 2030", Saudi Arabia will become the world's largest construction site, with a total investment of 413 trillion riyals, or about 11 trillion US dollars, or about 8 trillion yuan. 2. Saudi Arabia's potential large-scale infrastructure marketWith the support of the oil economy, Saudi Arabia has sufficient funds, large investment in infrastructure construction, large scale, and large market space and potential in the entire Saudi Arabia market. Contracting accounts for 40% of the Gulf region, about US$100 billion per year, of which energy projects account for 33%, construction and transportation projects account for 29% and 27% respectively. Among them, the Saudi NEOM New City investment and development project announced in 2017 is located at the junction of northwestern Saudi Arabia with Jordan and Egypt, with a total investment of 500 billion US dollars and a planned development area of 260 square kilometers. Up to now, the flagship sub-projects of the project, including the Coastline New Town project (The Line), the floating industrial city project (Oxagon), and the mountain recreation project (Trojena), have been implemented one after another. According to the progress report released by NEOM New Town, the completion rate of NEOM New Town infrastructure projects has reached 20%.

At present, the main large-scale infrastructure projects are:

the line

Description: The project is a new type of urban development that stretches for 170 kilometers and includes numerous interconnected communities, with natural and pedestrian-friendly spaces, prioritizing people and the environment, and large tracts of land that have been designated as protected areas. The project covers an area of 34 square kilometres, connecting the Red Sea coast with northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Oxagon Oxagon

Introduction: Oxagon is a floating city known as "the largest floating structure in the world". It will be built in the southwest area of NEOM, which is officially 33 times the size of New York City. Half of the oxagon will float in the Red Sea at an average depth of 500 meters. Oxagon will build the world's first fully integrated port and **chain ecosystem for NEOM. Ports, logistics and rail transport facilities will be unified to deliver world-class productivity and net-zero carbon emissions.

The Red Sea Project

Location: The Red Sea, northwest Saudi Arabia.

Description: This is a tourism development on the archipelago of Saudi Arabia with a dedicated airport. The Red Sea project will be built on 90 undeveloped islands between Umluj and Al Wajh on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The project will include the design of 100 holiday villas and the construction of an airport to serve the development and several hotels. When the project is completed in 2030, 22 islands and 6 inland locations will be developed. Diriyah Gate

Description: The design of the Diriyah Gate embodies the original capital of Saudi Arabia and aims to preserve heritage, mimic traditional urban forms, preserve the natural environment, and enhance stewardship and use. 100 ideas for the Diriyah Gate have been incorporated into the entire **, including physical assets, events, performances, sculptures, wayfinding, trails and place names. The East End has developed an arena, an opera house, a convention center, a contemporary art museum, a grand mosque and an innovation cluster that connects the avenues of King Saud University.

Qiddiya City

Description: Known as Saudi Arabia's "Entertainment Capital", it will span 334 square kilometers on the outskirts of Riyadh and offer a variety of attractions, from a 20,000-seat clifftop stadium to a Formula 1 circuit.

Cidia will have more than 300 recreational and educational facilities around five main themes: Parks & Attractions, Sports & Wellness, Nature & Environment, Arts & Culture, and Sports & Mobility. Known for having the world's tallest landing slide and the world's longest and tallest roller coaster, Six Flags, an American theme park, will open in Qiddiya and is expected to "break many world records" and feature an 18-hole championship-standard golf course and movies.

Trojena

Description: This is a new mountain tourism destination that will be part of NEOM's mega development. The master plan was carried out by the German design firm L**a Architecture. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. Including ski villages, ultra-luxury family and wellness resorts and a variety of retail shops and restaurants, a variety of sporting events, arts, ** and cultural festivals will be held. By 2030, Trojena is expected to attract 700,000 tourists and 7,000 permanent residents to live within the project and adjacent residential complexes. Troena is located in the heart of NEOM, 50 km off the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is divided into six zones: Gateway, Discover, Valley, Explore, Relax, and Fun.

Sindarah

Description: Scheduled to open in early 2024, Sindara Island Resort will be the first of 10 areas in NEOM's mega-scale development in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Spanning 840,000 square meters and sitting on the Red Sea, it will be built around an 86-berth marina and yacht club. Upscale hotels, a mega yacht marina, a beach club, a wellness center and luxury shopping malls will be built. Visitors can take part in kayaking, surfing, and diving. Amara amala

Description: This large-scale project located on the Red Sea coast of Tabuk province will border the city of Neum and the Red Sea project within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve, helping to establish a new luxury tourism destination.

Dubbed the "Middle East Riviera", the development will include 2,500 hotel rooms and 700 private residential villas, as well as a retail area with 200 outlets. Amala will also open an art academy with the aim of further developing young artists in Saudi Arabia and the region as a whole. The 3,000sq km development will be spread across the three locations and will have its own airport and target luxury travellers. Initial funding for the project will be provided by public investment** in Saudi Arabia, although the size of the investment has not yet been disclosed. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2028, will create up to 22,000 jobs in the Kingdom. Jeddah Tower

Introduction: Jeddah Tower is currently planned to be 1007 meters high, the project broke ground in 2013, and until 2018, the building has reached 63 floors, and then the project has stalled due to related reasons. The current owner, Jeddah Economy Corporation (JEC), has resumed construction of the ambitious Jeddah Tower project, which will be the tallest building in the world when completed. At present, 14 companies from Saudi Arabia, China, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon and Sweden have been invited to participate in the bidding.

Other projects include King Salman Park (US$17 billion), Medina (US$10 billion), AlUla (US$15 billion) and MASAR (US$4.4 billion). 3. Overview of the operation of Chinese-funded enterprises in the field of infrastructure construction in Saudi Arabia

At present, there are 84 Chinese-funded enterprises operating in the Saudi market (as of 2023), most of which are mainly in construction, energy, machinery, geology and mining, finance** and other industries. In the past three years, China's project Ping An auspicious New Year has won the first place in the Saudi market, and companies that want to enter the game have to work harder!

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