1. King Abdullah Economic City

Part of Saudi Arabia’s

plans to diversify its economy by building a string of new cities around the country, King Abdullah Economic City will cover an area of 168 square kilometres and, it is hoped, provide up to 1 million jobs and homes for 2 million people.

The city is located on the Red Sea coast, close to Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, and will have a sea port able to handle up to 10 million 20-foot equivalent units, as well as industrial and business districts, a waterfront resort area and residential zones.

Among the other major elements to the project are a $5bn aluminium smelter, a $4bn education zone offering primary- and secondary-level schooling, as well as a university and a $1bn international airport at Rabigh. Up to 25,000 hotel rooms are planned for the city, spread across more than 120 hotels. The central business district will include a 140,000 sq metre financial district.

• Client: Emaar, The Economic City

• Sector: Real estate

• Stage: Under construction

• Budget: $93bn

• Completion date: Q4 2029

• Location: Rabigh, Western Region, Saudi Arabia

Data for the Top 100 Projects is supplied by MEED Projects, a premium service that offers in-depth project tracking across the Middle East and North Africa.