Saudi Arabia’s Investment Authority (Sagia) is expected to approve the concept masterplan for the $8bn Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed Economic City by the end of April.

Commonly known as Hail Economic City, the 156-square-kilometre masterplan is divided into two parts: 92 square kilometres for industrial use and an additional 64 sq km for non-industrial space. The concept masterplan was designed by the local office of KEO International Consultants.

In light of positive feedback from Sagia, KEO is also moving forward with the detailed masterplan of the 40 sq km first phase of the project, which will include a 12 sq km international airport, as well as basic design of architecture, plots, public space and infrastructure. KEO’s detailed masterplan will be finished by the end of May this year.

Assuming KEO’s detailed masterplan is complete and approved by Sagia, detailed design of the city’s infrastructure utilities and roadways should commence in July.

In addition to masterplanning, KEO was contracted to provide urban design, landscape design, infrastructure masterplanning and detail design.

As one of six economic cities planned for the kingdom, Hail Economic City will incorporate clusters of development in the following sectors:  

• Logistics, operations and supply chain
• Agricultural and food processing
• Mining and commerce
• Infrastructure
• Education
• Housing

The residential population of Hail is expected to be 470,000 by 2060 and, due to its strategic location in the centre of the country, Hail Economic City is anticipated to attract 1.16 million visitors by 2060. The project is expected to generate 100,000 jobs by 2025 and an additional 215,000 by 2060.

The city’s international airport will have a capacity of three million passengers a year and its railway station will cater for an additional two million passengers.

The mixed-use urban development has earmarked 40 million square metres of built-up residential area, 2.5 million sq m of built-up commercial area and 1.8 million sq m of built-up area for civic and community use.