Saudi Arabia announces projects worth $23bn for Riyadh

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to spend $23bn on four projects for Riyadh, in an effort to make it "one of the world’s most liveable cities".

The projects are:

1. King Salman Park: Located in the heart of Riyadh, the project will contain the Royal Art Complex, a national theatre, an opera house, art academies, museums and galleries.
2. Sports Boulevard: Designed to encourage exercise, the development will include 48 green and open spaces, outdoor museums, movie theatres, and cycling, jogging and horseback riding tracks.
3. Green Riyadh: This plan will increase air quality and reduce temperatures in the city by increasing the green space from 1.7 sq m to 28 sq m per capita, and by planting 7.5m trees.
4. Riyadh Art: Described by the Saudi Arabian government as the "world’s largest government investment in public art", the project will create 1,000 installation artworks and landmarks, including institutions such as museums and theatres, to be created by local and international artists across public spaces in Riyadh.

Sports Boulevard

The four projects will meet the UN’s sustainable development goals and will create 70,000 jobs, and generate investment opportunities worth $14bn to local and foreign investors. Work on them is due to begin in the second half of 2019.

Top image: King Salman Park