Eric Kuhne, managing director of Eric R Kuhne & Associates, told MEED’s Kuwait Conference on 5 February that work on the project will start later in 2008.

The company designed the project, known as Madinat al-Hareer in Arabic, which was approved by the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers in November 2007.

City of Silk will be developed by a wholly-owned government body, called Madinat al-Hareer Corporation, but the project will be financed by a combination of private and public capital.

“Work is now proceeding on the enabling law that will govern the city and on putting together a budget,” said Kuhne. “Work will start on phase one of the project by the end of the year.”

Madinat al-Hareer will have a final population of 700,000 people.